


The Secret Weapon

by Lupa1315



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst and Tragedy, Fluff, Multi, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-05-26 14:19:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 48,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15002675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lupa1315/pseuds/Lupa1315
Summary: Shiro was lost. By some divine miracle, he found his way back to the team, with the help of an unknown woman. Now he must find her again, and once he does, he finds she has many secrets. One of which involves one of the paladins. (This story will contain a bit of strong language, violence, and suggestive scenes)





	1. The Astral Planes

A/N: This is my first uploaded fanfic! I'm super excited to share it with you all. I've had this idea for a while, so I really hope you enjoy it. I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defenders. RxR!

Shiro roamed through the astral plain for the hundredth time (or so it felt like, there was no sense of time) still trying to find his way out. He had to get back to the others, the paladins, his team. He missed them all so much. Using the memories of his friends, he trudged along in the empty void.

What seemed like hours went by and he decided to take a break. It was as he was sitting down that he thought he'd lost his mind.

"Hey!" said a voice that echoed the area, but sounded close, if not right behind him. He shot up and spun around. Nothing. There was no one there. Part of him was convinced he just missed company so he imagined the voice, but another part thought there was really someone else there. If that was the case, would they be friendly? Or try to kill him? He shrugged the thoughts aside and turned back around only to catch a glimpse of two grey eyes staring back at him.

"Ah!" He nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of the girl. She jumped as well by his outburst. "Um...hello?"

Once he calmed his racing heart, he noticed just how beautiful the girl was. Her black hair touched her waist, with fair skin to contrast. A dark purple dress reached her knees and he noticed she was barefoot. "What's your name," she asked as she stretched out her arm to shake hands with him. Her smile was angelic and made him feel better. He wasn't alone anymore.

He took her hand, fulfilling the gesture. "I'm Shiro."

"Nice to meet you, Shiro. I must say, it's a relief to not be here by myself. I almost thought I was going crazy when I saw you walking around. Speaking of, you looked as if you were searching for something. May I ask what?"

"I'm looking for a way out. I need to get back to my team." Shiro watched as the girl's face went from confusion to excitement.

"Oh, that's easy! Just wake up."

"What?" He was shocked. This girl must've been here awhile cause she sounded crazy.

"You're in a deep sleep, probably forced. Your conscience has drifted away from you and now you're here. Once you wake up, you'll be back wherever you need to be. But if I may, I need a favor from you, black paladin." She seemed desperate, and he felt bad for her.

"Sure, but how did you know I was the black paladin?"

"You're wearing the suit," she giggled. "Zarkon wants the black lion really bad, so you have to wake up now. I can help you, but once you wake, I need you to find me. Find me and wake me up. Please."

He was confused. "How will I find you?"

She swiftly moved her hands behind her neck and unclasped her necklace, then gently set it in his palm. "Use this. It will guide you to me." The necklace was a silver chain with a beautifully carved violet crystal attached. "Now, we must hurry. No time to lose!" She pulled him closer, and while she was visibly smaller than him, her grip proved her to be strong.

"Okay, for this to work, you must focus. Focus on your friends and where they might be." He did as instructed, thinking about each of his teammates and how much he wished to see them again. He could be eating Hunk's amazing food right about now. Or quietly laughing at Lance's jokes. He could be letting Pidge work on his robotic arm like she's always begging to do. He could be sparring with Keith, whom he always thought of as his little brother. Even dealing with Coran's training exercises seemed to sound amazing at this point. And most of all, he wanted to see Allura. He'd never admit it to anybody, but he kind of liked the snow-haired princess. She was strong, determined, kind, and beautiful. He'd give anything to tell her that someday.

A small hand forcefully pushed him down onto one knee. "You're doing great, keep focusing. Picture where you want to be." That was easy, he wanted to be in the castle. He pictured his room and the walls, and the main deck to every detail.

Then, he felt weak. His vision started to darken. No, wait, it wasn't his eyesight, it was the planes! The purple haze was slowly engulfed in black. He felt a finger gently pressing against his forehead, then it all disappeared as he realized he was falling. All he could do is flail and scream, not knowing when it would stop or if he would even survive the fall.

Suddenly, it all stopped. His eyes were squeezed shut, thinking he had hit the end and he was dead, but when he managed to open his eyes, all he could see was white hair and dark skin and blue eyes staring at him in shock.

He was alive, and back in the castle. In Allura's arm to be precise. She cradled him like a child, not phased at all by his weight. The silence in the room was suddenly broken by collective screeching. "SHIRO?!"


	2. Shiro's Return

After an hour of the team freaking out and pummeling him with questions, he sat down and tried to process everything. "I don't know what happened. I remember being in the black lion, then everything went dark, and then I ended up in this void."

"You've been gone for months," Keith exclaimed, his face a mix of relief and anger. "We thought you were dead!"

Lance reached out and placed his hand on Keith's shoulder.

"Cut him some slack, man. He's back, that's what's important." It was strange to see Keith calm down just from a single touch, especially when it was Lance's touch. Shiro decided to ignore it.

"I still don't understand." Allura's voice sounded like music to his ears. "How did you get back? You're body was gone, there was no trace of anything in the black lion."

Shiro contemplated how he wanted to share his escape story to the others. It sounded insane. "There was...this girl. She helped me get out. According to her, I was asleep. Maybe...maybe Black teleported my body while I was in the coma so that I was safe. That's its power, right?"

"Yes, but it is unusual. A lot of this is." Allura's concern turned into suspicion. "Who was the girl?"

"Uh," he forgot that he never really knew. "I don't know. I never caught her name. But she was really nice." Looking down, he noticed the crystal pendant in his hand. "I promised that I would find her."

He raised the necklace up for the others to look at. Allura's face became stern as she folded her arms in front of herself. "Shiro, you know we can't do that. We have to focus on stopping Zarkon. Now that you're back, Voltron can be formed and we can end this."

"Allura, I promised!" Shiro stood, determined to change her mind. "She saved my life, I owe her. I'm going to find her. Just think, we could have another ally to help us in battle. We can't just use the lions for this, it's going to take an army." Their mini stand-off was cut off by Coran.

"Princess, I believe he has a point. Allies would help us get closer to the main ship to stop Zarkon and Haggar."

She huffed, but eventually agreed to help.

"What did this girl look like," Lance questioned. "I bet she was hot. Or was she an alien? I mean, not that alien chicks aren't attractive-"

"Lance, clam it before you get hurt," said Pidge as she held a hand to her forehead, clearly annoyed.

Shiro was definitely glad to be back. "She had black hair and grey eyes. And she was somewhat pale. She looked about my age, and she was human, I believe."

Hunk finally spoke up after a long period of silence. "How is a necklace going to help you find her? Is there a chip in it or something?"

"Actually," Coran stated, raising his index finger. "This crystal came from the planet Cryskos. It was known for its jewels and mines. Each set of crystals did something different. The purple ones were used as trackers. After so long, the crystal could find its wearer without being on the body. The only problem with that is Cryskos was destroyed a long time ago. The crystals are extinct."

"So how does a girl who's in a coma come across something that's been gone for decades?" Pidge's words made Shiro gaze at the pendant. It was a good question, and once he found the girl, he'd be sure to ask her.


	3. Rescue Mission

Allura insisted the team train as she and Coran discussed Voltron's next move. Everyone seemed to be doing okay except Keith. His fighting stance was off and Pidge knocked him down easily. Usually, Keith is the last man standing besides Shiro.

Once training was done, and he and Keith were the only two in the training room, he asked "Is everything alright?"

Keith didn't even bother to keep his usual strong stance and slouched, showing his exhaustion. "I haven't been sleeping well. I know it was months ago, but I still can't believe I'm half Galra. After Hunk's comment, I started searching for signs of purple skin or ears sprouting out of my head! What if I become some kind of monster? What if I end up like Zarkon?!"

"Keith." Shiro put his hand on Keith's shoulder in reassurance. "You are not going to end up like Zarkon. Not all the Galra are bad, you know that. The Blade of Marmora are working to stop Zarkon just like us. So, don't worry." He rustled his hair, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"Thanks, Shiro. I needed that." Keith smiled before heading off to relax. Shiro stayed in the training room, throwing punches to the air as if he was actually in battle, but his mind kept going back to the girl. He didn't know her name, or how she knew so much about him. All he had was the image of her face and the necklace, which raised a thousand more questions. Those questions were cut off by a loud bang that made the castle shake.

Running to the main deck, he recognized the ships as a Galra fleet. They were firing at the castle, which luckily had its defenses up, but even those were fading fast. "We need to get away from this! The ship can't take much more!" Allura and Coran were doing their best to keep the power up, but they needed a break. They needed Voltron.

Shiro and the other paladins raced to get suited up and to their lions. Black was laying lifeless on the cold floor. Guilt filled him as realization hit. He had been gone for months. The others had to fight without him there to form Voltron. They could've died, or even been injured. Movement shifted his train of thought, and within seconds the Black Lion was sitting up and roaring. It was a good sight to see.

As he settled into his seat, it felt like deja vu. He quickly retraced his memory and soon Black was flying with all the other lions.

One by one, ships were going down as Lance and Keith weaved through the fleet, shooting fire, ice, and the usual blasts at any ship in sight. Pidge's lion had one of the smaller ships in its mouth while Hunk was ramming into ships head first. Shiro couldn't believe it. His team was doing really well without him. He snapped out of his stupor as one of the ships passed him and tried firing. He dodged the shots and took out the ship easily.

The battle went on for at least an hour before the remaining ships started to flee. The main ship started to pass, then something strange happened. The violet crystal wrapped around his wrist started to glow. He raised his wrist only to watch it glow and slowly float. With the chain holding it back, it tugged his wrist, like it wanted to go to the Galra ship.

"Uh, guys? We have a problem."

"What is it, Shiro?" Keith's voice came through the coms.

"That tracker gem thing," Shiro answered hesitantly. "It's glowing."

Coran gasped. "It's found its wearer. The girl you met, she has to be on that ship!"

"What?!" Allura screeched, making her disapproval clear. "No way! Shiro, don't you dare think of getting on that ship!"

Shiro thought for a second, contemplating his options. "Allura, I have to. This might be the only chance we get. I'll go myself if I have to."

"Like hell you will!" Lance shouted with excitement. "I'm all for a Galra raid, how 'bout you guys?" Pidge and Keith shouted while Hunk's answer was a little less ecstatic. They were all in agreement. "Then let's go save the damsel!"

Shiro led the group to the far end of the ship, where Pidge used her newest gadget to cloak the lions. They got into the ship no problem, and everyone's eyes were on the crystal as it moved and tugged Shiro's wrist up and to the right. "I guess we just follow it."

Hours went by as they continued to follow the gem, weaving through the corridors. Lance covered the back alongside Pidge, while Keith and Hunk covered the front. "Are we almost there," Hunk asked, scanning every corner and holding his gun a little too close. Shiro couldn't blame him, being on a Galra ship brought back every painful memory of his imprisonment. His eyes shifted to the white patch that he woke up with along with the robot arm.

"Shiro, don't!" Pidge hissed. He froze, unsure of what she was talking about. Following her gaze, he looked down at his bionic hand. It glowed like in battle, when he used it as a weapon, only this time he had no need for it. The hand clasped onto the chain until it broke, and the crystal zipped away, finally free to find its owner. "Follow that gem!"

Sprinting to catch up, and almost running into several walls, they finally saw the crystal stop and hover in front of a door. The door was locked with a code and there was no hint to what was behind it. "Pidge-"

"Already on it," she interrupted, walking over to the device to decrypt the code. Hunk and Keith were on lookout to make sure they didn't get an uninvited guest while she worked.

A few ticks passed, then the door slid open. "Am I the best, or am I the best?" Pidge laughed at her very Lance-like comment, but she was right. With her hacking skills and technology, she was the best.

The crystal shot forward, flew around a bit, then circled around a certain sleep chamber. Inside was a girl with jet-black hair with white streaks, pale, slightly scarred skin, and chains shackling her to the base.

Shiro's brow furrowed. This girl looked different from the one he met in the astral planes. That girl seemed kind and loving, while this one seemed a mix between pain and anger. However, the crystal was bumping into the glass, so it must be her. But why does she look so different? He thought to himself.

"This has to be her," he assured, trying to sound as confident as possible. Pidge was already working on disabling the chamber, so he just stared at the girl.

Lance let out a low whistle. "She is pretty. Shiro, you might've just found yourself a girlfriend."

"Lance, no." Shiro rolled his eyes. Leave it to Lance to go from huge flirt to matchmaker, and even though the girl was beautiful, he wasn't interested.

A sudden hiss grasped his attention. "Yes!" Pidge beamed, a victorious smile stretched across her face as the glass slid down.

"Step aside," said Lance as he aimed his blaster. Shiro was going to protest, but it was too late. The sharpshooter aimed carefully and fired at the lock, busting it into tiny shards. The chains fell instantly, and so did the girl. Luckily, Shiro caught her, making sure there was no damage to her.

"Um, miss?" He gently shook her, but she didn't budge. The rising and falling of her chest proved she was alive, so he turned to leave, only to be stopped by a Galra soldier.

"Stop right there," the soldier shouted, though his stance was all wrong. Instead of attacking, he looked ready to hide under a rock. The gun in his hand quaked as he aimed it at the paladins. "Put her back in the chamber!"

Keith, with sword in hand, stood next to Shiro. "No! She's coming with us. You can't keep her," he said, raising the sword.

The soldier put the gun away and raised his hands in surrender. "Please, just put her back. You have no idea what you've just unleashed." He honestly was scared. Every ounce of his body trembled and his eyes never left the girl.

Suddenly, Shiro felt a shift. The Galra's eyes widened along with his as the girl woke from her slumber, taking two glances around as she stood. She was calm...until her eyes set on the soldier.

"You!" Her voice sounded completely foreign from the sweet, angelic sound he heard before. Now, it was filled with hatred. "You're the one who stuffed me in that thing!" A knife appeared in her hand and she threw it at the guy, who dodged it by a centimeter.

"Please, please don't hurt me!" the soldier cowered back while she stormed forward, a new blade in hand. Shiro noticed the blades were coming out of her metal wristband and he had no idea how many more she had in it.

The girl grabbed him by the chink in the armor and lifted him off of the ground with ease. "You locked me up and forced me to sleep, but before that you said something. Say it again."

"Please, I didn't mean to-"

"Say it again!" She pressed the knife into his side, making the guy scream.

Pidge rushed toward the girl. "Stop it," she shouted as she tried to pry the knife from her fingers.

"Get back!" The girl shoved the green paladin back slightly, and went back to the soldier. "Say it again."

The guy gulped before speaking in a shaky voice. "I...I said that a-after I put you to sleep, I'd...I'd find your family and m-make sure they'd endure the highest amount of t-torture..."

"And did you go to Earth?" She moved the knife to his throat. "ANSWER ME!"

"Yes, we went to Earth, but we didn't go near your family, I swear! Please, we just went for the lion, and the champion!"

The girl's anger faltered as she turned her head toward the Black Paladin, and for a moment, Shiro saw the girl from before. Her eyes moved back to the Galra soldier and groaned as she dragged him by his ear. "Get in the sleep chamber."

"Wha-"

"Get in the quiznaking chamber!" She aimed the knife at his throat, forcing him into the chamber. "This is for everything you've done." She hit the button and instantly the gas put him to sleep.

"Well, now that that's taken care of, I will apologize for shoving you, Green Paladin. I'm not myself when angered and I didn't want to hurt you."

Keith raised the tip of his sword to her chin. "Oh, no you don't! You stay the hell back!"

She looked at Keith like he was her worst nightmare. "Look, that Galra put me and so many other prisoners through hell. At least I didn't kill him."

"No, you didn't, but you pretty much tortured him," Lance pitched in.

"He was going to hurt my family! My dad and little brother were in danger and I was forced into that chamber thinking they were dead! I spent a year with all that bottled-up anger, so sorry that I got out of control." She pushed the sword away, frowning at the dark haired boy. Keith didn't move much, he didn't trust her. Not that Shiro could blame him, but now he was sure it was her. She looked sad, but also much more kind and not so hateful.

"Guys, we need to talk about-" he was about to finish when he heard a voice.

A Galra guard! It had found them and was contacting its crew. "Prisoner 8629-1 is awake! I repeat, 8629-1 is awake!" The guard aimed his gun and fired at the Red Paladin, who was still closest to the girl. The shot never made it to him, as a body just an inch or so taller intercepted it.

The dark-haired girl fell to her knees, clutching her side to keep the blood from leaking out too fast. The guard approached her and shot sleep gas in her face, knocking her out in a snap.

Shiro's hand was still glowing, and it's probably a good thing he didn't touch her or any of the others with it, but now he used it as its purpose intended. A weapon. After all, he was the Champion, the one all the prisoners talked about. He attacked swiftly, taking out the guard in three seconds. The hand stopped glowing and he threw the girl over his shoulder. "Let's go!"

They found their way back to their lions, dodging the array of blasts and soldiers in their path, and took off as quickly as they could. Once they were far enough away, the questions were nearly endless.

"Why did we bring her?"

"What if she tries to destroy the castle?"

"What if she attacks Allura and Coran?!"

"What about us?! She could easily try to kill us!"

"Enough!" Shiro finally snapped. "Look, I was there, too! I saw what she did. But did you not hear her? Did you not hear what that soldier said to her? He threatened to kill her family, and if you guys were in the same position, would you not do the same?"

Silence filled the atmosphere.

"Pidge, you almost left Voltron to find your dad and brother, and that would've put the whole universe in danger. Keith, you went through numerous trials and took several beatings just to find out who you were. Need I go on?"

"Paladins, report!" Allura's voice came though the coms.

Shiro cleared his voice. "Princess, we found the girl. She needs medical attention; she took a hit for Keith. I do request that we keep a close eye on her for awhile, though. She didn't exactly come off as friendly at first."

Coran's voice was clear as a bell. "We'll take a look, but get here quick! That Galra ship is about to come back!"

The lions moved at full speed, safely entering the castle a minute before the ship took off. Shiro carried the girl to the ship's infirmary and set her atop one of the tables. "Is she going to be okay?"

Coran, who was carefully examining the girl, nodded. "This one's tough. She'll be just fine. I just need to seal up the wound and check her vitals, then she should wake."

"We'll get a room ready for her. She needs to know that she's not a prisoner anymore." With a simple nod, Shiro turned to leave, as did most of the others. Keith was frozen in front of her, staring at the wound that was meant for him. Why the girl jumped in front of him no one knew. They'd like to think it was out of the goodness of her heart, but perhaps there was a different reason. Brushing the thoughts aside, he left as well, not turning back to look at the girl who saved his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you all have probably noticed, I've been posting one chapter each week. Most of these are already pre-typed, but I like to add a little suspense. This chapter is special to me because it finally brings in the mystery girl! I had a lot of fun creating her, and hope you guys like her as much as I do. Her role is crucial, and as chapters go on, you'll see why. I also hope you readers are enjoying the story so far, and if you have questions or comments, feel free to share. I'd love to hear from you! Have fun reading!


	4. Day One

Days passed before the girl woke up. Coran became worried and brought Slav in to check on her. Slav, though he is extremely annoying, is highly intelligent. His main practice was on machines, but he agreed to help.

"She brutally attacked a soldier, and took a blast for someone she doesn't even know?" Allura was still processing all the paladins told her.

"Yeah," replied Shiro, who was turning the purple crystal in his hands. It found its way back to her but Slav refused to help with it floating around, rambling something about destruction and other realities. "It made me think twice about bringing her here, but even though she shoved Pidge away, she apologized for it. It was like something hit the "off" switch on her vengeance. I recognized her from the plains, so I had to keep my promise. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her."

She let out a sigh. "You better. From here on out she is your responsibility. If anything goes wrong, I will have no choice but to hold you accountable."

"Of course, princess," he muttered, praying that nothing went wrong. The only thing worse than Zarkon was Allura's rage. She will not hesitate to let him have it if he screws up.

Hunk gently nudged Shiro's arm. "So, if she wakes up, I figured we can start with a friendly gesture." He took the gem out of Shiro's hand and attaches it to a black leather strap. "Since the chain broke, and she's had this for a long time, I figured it would be a step to fix it for her and return it. She'd have to happy about that, right?"

Shiro couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, I think she will be. You're a good person, Hunk." He patted the big man on the back, leading to the sweetest smile from him in return.

A shrill sound snapped everyone's heads to the door. Screams echoed the hallway and in an instant everyone was on their feet, heading for the door.

The door slid open to reveal Slav hiding in a corner, while Coran was trying to calm the girl down.

"Where am I? Who are you? What are you going to do to me?" The girl screamed, trying to free herself from the shackles that planted her to the table.

Coran was nervous, but kept his voice soft. "It's all right. You're safe. My name is Coran, I'm Altean. We rescued you from the Galra ship."

Shiro nudged Hunk forward, ushering him to give her the necklace. "U-um, m-miss?" He took a careful step forward but froze as her eyes snapped to him. "I-I-I b-brought this f-for you. The chain b-broke, but I f-fixed it..." He kept his eyes down as he held out the gem.

Her grey eyes locked onto it, and she relaxed. "How did you...I gave that to a man named-" her eyes shifted to the Black Paladin. "Shiro."

"How are you feeling," he asked as he approached her.

A sweet smile spread across her face at his concern. "I'm better now."

"Awe, how cute! You two are just perfect for each other," Lance interrupted, which got the girl to raise her head.

"And you are..."

He brought out his signature grin. "The name's Lance."

The girl chuckled. "Such a charmer. Unfortunately, you're a little too young for me."

"I kind of figured, but eh, might as well give it a try. Now Shiro can take a few lessons from me." He posed while the others groaned and rolled their eyes. The girl just laughed.

"Lance, stop it," Shiro demanded. "You can ignore him, he flirts a lot."

She just continued to laugh. "I like him, he's funny."

Lance looked shocked. "Wait, someone actually thinks I'm funny? And it's not in a mean way? Yes!" He pumped his first into the air.

"Oh, great! Now we're never going to get him to stop," Keith groaned, leaning against the far wall. He wasn't looking at the girl, instead his eyes found interest in the floor.

Shiro cleared his throat. "Keith, do you have anything to say?"

Keith shot him a glare, but after losing a mental argument, he walked over. "Thanks for being stupid enough to jump in front of that blast." And without another word, he walked off.

"Keith!"

"It's okay, Shiro," said the girl. "He doesn't seem like the kind to trust easily, I understand that."

"He'll come around," Shiro stated before looking at her hands. "Coran, can we lose the restraints?"

Coran turned, quickly remembering she was still shackled down. "Right!" He pulled out a device and pressed a few buttons. The shackles sprung open and the girl sat up, rubbing her wrists.

"Thank you."

"No problem, miss..."

Her eyes met the Altean's. "Oh, right! I'm sorry. I'm Rae. Nice to meet you!" She held out her hand.

He took it without hesitation. "Nice to meet you, Rae! I'm Coran, as you already know, and over here is Princess Allura. Her father is the one who preserved Voltron and now we fight the Galra Empire to save the galaxy!"

She chuckled. "Yes, I'm well aware of Voltron. The Galra talked a lot about it. Zarkon still continues to find ways to destroy it and all of you. With that aside, it is an honor to meet the Princess of Altea." She stood up and bowed to the princess, then turned to the paladins. "And it is a great honor to meet the members of Voltron." She bowed again. "You are all extremely brave to face the Galra Empire. I have seen firsthand what they do to planets and people. It's sickening."

"How long were you there?" Pidge's question caused Rae's expression to darken.

"They captured me when I was twelve. I was on Earth, playing with my little brother when they came. Luckily, they didn't find him then, but as for me, I wasn't so lucky. They put me in fights, but I came out of those barely breathing. They took numerous samples and put me though many tests. I learned to be strong, but it was hard. So hard that I wanted to just break then and cry and scream, but if I would've done that, they would have killed my family."

Shiro placed his hand on her shoulder. "Well, now you're with us. We'll take care of you. Maybe even help you get back home."

Sadness filled her eyes as she looked at him. "I can't go home."

He felt pity for her; however, he didn't know where to start. "How about we show you your room? You can relax, get cleaned up, eat, and we'll talk later, okay? Hunk will escort you."

Hunk stiffened up at the mention of his name. He tried to hide it from Rae. "Thank you," she spoke softly before walking off with Hunk.

"You're going to like it here," Hunk encouraged, trying to lighten the quiet mood. "We usually all get along, and the training may be tough, but it's worth it. Oh, and the rooms are very cozy. Not to mention, there's an Altean pool, which I have no idea how it works, but we have it! Also, I'd like to point out that I am an incredible cook, so prepare for you're taste buds to go for a ride. Is there anything you like specifically? Any favorite food? Or maybe you're a vegetarian, that's cool too! I can work around that, surely. Am I talking too much? I think I'm talking too much."

"I don't mind the talking," she said with a giggle. "You and the others are the friendliest people I've met in over a year. Even Keith is friendly compared to others I've met."

"Yeah, sorry about him," Hunk apologized. "He's actually a really cool dude once you get to know him. He's just going through a lot right now."

She nodded. "I understand."

"Well, here's your room!" He pointed to the door with a number eight hanging beside it. After a few incidents of one of the guys accidentally entering Pidge's room, Hunk thought it would be a good idea to number the rooms so it was less confusing. "Oh, and here!" He handed her the necklace

"Thank you for all of this." She clutched the necklace close to her and opened the door. "By the way, I'll eat anything you cook. I'm not picky when it comes to food."

"Oh, good. So, the shower is automatic, adjusts to what you need, and there are clothes in the drawers under your bed. I'll have someone come get you once dinner is ready." He rushed off to start the meal.

Rae entered her new room and set the necklace on the nightstand. Hunk was right, this place is cozy, she thought to herself. She figured dinner would take a while, so she slipped off the prison rags that she'd worn the last eight years and decided to clean up. The shower worked wonders getting the grime and dirt off of her body without hurting her, and she could actually run her fingers through her hair without getting stuck in the tangles. She tried to cut it twice before, but the soldiers who watched her made sure she never had anything to cut it with out of fear she'd use the object against them. Now, she didn't dare. It was too beautiful.

Looking in the mirror, she didn't recognize herself. The only time she saw her reflection was when it was through the visors of her guards. Then, she looked like a hood rat. Now, she passed as normal.

After combing through her hair and drying it, she took a closer look at the scar on her cheekbone. It came from a knife being thrown at her in the arena, or at least, that's the story she chose to tell. It looked about as deep as the scar across Shiro's nose. That led to the other alteration. Her hair. What used to be just jet black was now streaked with snow-white hair. Although it didn't look bad, she didn't like it. Unfortunately, there was no hair dye in space. But at least she wasn't the only one. Shiro's frosted tips were a surprise, as she didn't see it or the scar in the astral plains, but with the bionic arm, she wasn't surprised. White was always the mark of Haggar's experiments.

Taking one last look in the mirror, she shifted over to the drawers to find something to wear. Thankfully, Alteans knew about breast support. She picked up what she hoped was a bra and put it on, amazed as it altered itself to fit her. She continued to dig around until she found a change of underwear, a pair of purple pants that made her legs look amazing, and a black shirt that tied around the neck and revealed half her back. Maybe it was too much, but she liked it. Remembering that everyone wore shoes on board, she found a pair of black boots to complete the look.

Just as she was putting on her necklace, she heard a knock at the door. She walked to the door, noticing it opened automatically, and saw Shiro standing there. He had to look down to see her, and once he did his eyes widened. She looked like the angel he met in the astral plains. "Wow, you look nice."

Blushing at his compliment, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thanks."

"Dinner's ready," he stated, and that made her stomach growl. When was the last time she ate? She couldn't remember.

"Great! I'm starving." She motioned for him to lead the way and followed, trying to quiet her food-deprived stomach.

Shiro opened the dining hall door, which led an array of delicious scents to her nostrils. She breathed it in, positive she was smelling the food of kings. Her mouth was watering and it took all of her energy not to pounce on the food and rip into it. Instead, she took her seat, waited for Hunk to give the okay, then carefully started placing a little bit of everything on her plate. She wanted to try it all, but she had to keep in mind her manners. Being held prisoners made her lose a lot of things, but manners wasn't one of them.   
Gently picking up her knife and fork, she cut into the food and carefully took her first bite.

Hunk was right. Her taste buds were on such a ride, they nearly danced on her tongue. She took another bite and felt the sensation all over again. Looking over at the others, she observed Lance and Keith's lack of manners. Oh, how she wanted to join in on the barbaric action, but she resisted. She must remain ladylike while at dinner. It was in battle that she was allowed to drop the fanciness.

While she ate, the others casually engaged in conversation with each other. Hunk was praised for his delicacies, Pidge (what a strange name) talked about modifications to a certain device she was working on, Keith was asked about some of his new training styles, and Lance was casually throwing out pick-up lines to Allura, which made the rest groan in disapproval. Rae suddenly felt awkward and decided to keep eating quietly so she didn't interrupt with her own input. It's not like they would care what she'd say, she wasn't one of them.

Pidge was the first to notice her hiding behind her raven-colored hair. "So, Rae, how do you like your room? We made sure no one could accidentally stumble in on it."

Rae was surprised. The small child was actually talking to her. "Oh...it's lovely," she answered shyly. "Very comfortable."

Hunk, who sat next to her, asked "do you like the food?"

Again, she was surprised. "Yes, very much! I...I haven't had a meal this good in forever...haven't had a meal in awhile..." She caught her words and shot a nervous laugh to try and cover it up, but they all showed concern.

Thankfully, Lance changed the subject. "I really like your name, is there a story behind it?"

"Oh, yes," she replied. "My father said it was from the myths of the Titans. Rhea was the wife to Cronus, the one who devoured his children. But see, Rhea, although she was a Titaness, she wasn't cruel. She hid her son, Zeus, away from his father, and later, Zeus conquered him. To shorten the story, he basically thought of me as a protector. That or he lied to me and just made up a story to sound cool. Rae was also my great-grandma's middle name, which is why it's spelled differently from the Titan."

"Or she could've been middle-named after the Titan and then it passed down to you, so it's both," Pidge countered while wiping off her glasses.

"Who knows? Personally, I stick to the myth. It's cooler and more accurate. I'd do anything to protect the ones I care for." The Paladins watched as she zoned out, not sure what she was thinking about.

"So you were named after a fake figure, big whoop." Keith stabbed at his food and stuffed it in his mouth.

Rae, for the first time, glared at the paladin. "Okay, I get that you have trust issues, being half Galra and all, but can you not sound so hateful?"

Everyone froze. "How did you know I was Galra?" Keith's voice became stern, almost like a growl.

"One, you're temper, and two, you have the Blade of Marmora symbol on your dagger, and only a Galra can have a weapon like that."

"That's it!" Keith stood up abruptly, driving his knife into the table. "I don't trust you because you tried to torture that soldier. I don't trust you because you act so calmly around stuff you should be freaking out over. And I especially don't trust you because of that information right there!" He pulled the dagger out of the table and left.

Shiro excused himself from the table and ran after him. "What is your problem?"

Keith stopped and turned. "I think she's hiding something. That soldier said that we didn't know what we were unleashing. They don't say that about every little prisoner, Shiro! I have a feeling she's going to turn on us and hand us over to Zarkon."

"Keith, that's-"

"Shiro, how easy was it to find her? Yeah, we were cloaked, but did you notice that not one Galra passed us before we found her? At least one of them could've been walking down that hallway, but no, it was empty. And that crystal? She might've stolen it from a prisoner and found a way to get it to lead you to her. And now we've brought her into the castle! All the lions are here and she could easily contact the Galra to get them!"

Shiro raised his finger to his chin, thinking over all the events. "If she is a spy for Zarkon, we'll know. We're keeping an eye on her, remember?"

Keith crossed his arms over his chest. "I still don't like this. She's got everyone fooled. Hunk thinks she's the sweetest thing, Pidge has already planned the questions for her about the crystal and even thinks of asking about Matt, Allura and Coran even like her! And Lance won't stop flirting with her!" Shiro could've sworn he saw Keith pout as he made that last remark. "And then there's you. Every little smile and laugh and seemingly kind tone has you hooked! You think she's so sweet and innocent. I'm starting to think Lance is right and you like her."

"That's not true!" Shiro said a little too loud. "I'm just trying to make her feel comfortable here. The more comfortable she is, the chances of her attacking us decrease. And besides, I have feeling for someone else..." He wanted to smack himself for saying that aloud.

"You mean Allura?" Keith smirked, elbowing his friend in the arm. "So, bringing Rae on board was you trying to be Prince Charming? Trying to show the princess that you're a kind, sweet man? How adorable." He threw his head back in laughter while Shiro glared at him, trying to hide the blush on his face.

"Shut up. Like you're one to talk. Don't think I didn't notice all those excessive moves you did in training to impress a certain someone." Shiro grinned at how the tables turned, with Keith's face the color of a ripe tomato.

"I wasn't trying to impress anyone!" Keith protested, but Shiro could see right through it. "Fine, I'll be nicer to the girl, just don't bring that up ever again."

Shiro wanted to tell him it was nothing to be ashamed of. Of course, everyone had guesses of it being possible. Hunk confirmed that Lance was bi a few months after they all met, after Shiro caught him flirting with an alien who turned out to be male. Lance didn't deny it either, he just requested that it be kept on the down low, meaning a secret from Keith. Poor guy thought Keith would make fun of him for it. If they only knew, Shiro thought.

The dining hall door opened, snapping Shiro back to the present. Rae was walking out, a smile on her face until she thought she was out of sight. Keith and Shiro followed her and that's when he noticed the sadness setting in. "They're all so nice," she said aloud to herself. "That's going to change once they see the truth. But maybe...no, no that's impossible. Allura won't like it, so the others won't either...but Keith is like me...except he hates me...ugh, I need to tell them...but it can wait a little bit, I guess..." She pouted as she walking into her room, the door sealing shut behind her, cutting off her rambling.

Keith gave him that "I told you so" look. "See? She's keeping secrets. And what does she mean "like me". We're not alike."

"Maybe she means she's a half-breed, too. Do you think she could be half Galra?" Shiro was spitballing, thinking how it would be the only logical explanation.

"Are you crazy?" Keith hissed. "Why would the Galra capture their own kind? That would just prove my theory even more! She's a spy, she has to be."

Shiro still didn't believe it, but Keith wasn't going to let it go. "Okay, then next mission she goes with you. You can see for yourself if she's working for the enemy or not. But if you're wrong, these superstitions have to stop."

"Deal."

Shiro shook his head as he walked off. Keith was never one to trust easily but surely if he met someone who understood him and could answer his questions, he should be at least a little excited. Maybe pairing those two up for a mission would be good. He hoped and prayed he wasn't wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know this chapter wasn't too exciting, but it gives a bit of insight on Rae. Just to clarify, Rae is 21, four years younger than Shiro (I'm going by the handbook with the ages). You'll learn plenty more about Rae as the chapters go on, and feel free to comment or message about what you think might come next, or have questions. I'll have Chapter 5 posted next Thursday, so tune in! Until then, Vrepit Sa!


	5. Rae's First Mission

Weeks of training revealed that Rae was quite skilled with weapons. Hand her just about anything and she'd figure out a way to use it against the sparring drone.

She showed the Paladins how her signature wristband worked, sheathing at least ten throwing knives. Pidge found it especially intriguing, asking if she could try and throw one. Rae found it absolutely adorable the way the young girl's eyes sparkled over the device and the knives. She went through the instructions, and even gave a demonstration before letting her try. Pidge aimed at the makeshift target, but with the awkward angle of her wrist, she missed and it clattered a foot away.

Lance opted to try next, his knife missing by a long shot and nearly breaking the window of the control room. The room erupted with laughter.

Hunk, who was encouraged to try as well, shyly threw the knife. His blade skittered across the floor, stopping a few inches in front of the target. Rae patted him on the back, informing him that a little more flick of the wrist would've earned him a hit.

"You're turn, Shiro."

Shiro eyed the girl smirking at him as she twisted the knife in her hands. "How hard can it be, right?"

She just shrugged, then gently placed the blade in his hand. "It's all in the wrist."

Turning the blade over a few times, he locked onto the target. Trying to replicate her example, he chucked the knife forward, carefully watching it as it left his hand, spun toward the target, and grazed the side.

"Well done, Shiro," she stated sarcastically. "If that was a living body, you would've just barely nicked the arm." She laughed at her own response. The laughter became contagious and even Shiro couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "Just so you know, throwing knives are expert level weapons. It takes a certain skill and hours upon hours of training to perfect the motion of the wrist and hand."

"Wow!" Pidge gawked over this information. "And what about with all the other weapons you've used?"

Rae sighed. "I kind of had to learn along the way how to use anything in sight as a weapon. Throwing knives and bows are my specialty, but I learned very quickly that anything can become dangerous. I once used a bobby pin and a rubber band to penetrate a pressure point so hard the guy passed out after two seconds. It was one of my guards. Galra skin is a lot thicker than human skin, so that's a record."

"Wait," Lance piped up, picking up the knives and handing them back to her. "So how thick is Keith's skin?"

Keith shot him a glare, but it wasn't as intense as usual. "Well," Rae pondered over the question, then answered with a question of her own. "Has he shifted?"

Keith's full attention was on her. "Shifted?" If she was going to be here, he could at least get some information off of her.

"Yes. Since you're only half alien you should be able to alter your appearance. Obviously, this-" she gestured to him. "is your true form, but Galra form will be different. For starters, since most Galra are known for anger and hatred, that will most likely be the key to your first shift. Unfortunately, that can cause you to lose control of yourself and your humanity, so you'd have to be careful.

"However, once you're in Galra form, you'll be twenty times stronger, faster, have keen reflexes. It's crazy, but helpful in certain cases."

"Wow," said Hunk. "You sure know a lot about the Galra."

Rae's color suddenly became ghost white. "Uh...right, yes! I...learned it from one of my cellmates. He was a half-breed experiencing his first shift. It, uh, didn't go well at first." She raised her arm, pulling back the sleeve to expose claw marks stretching across her forearm. "His strength was incredible, though, and he led me to my first escape."

They all took turns examining the scar, being careful to keep their distance, for she still looked mortified. Keith, however, took a closer look.

In the past few weeks, he kept his promise to Shiro. He made an effort to be nicer to the new arrival, and found they had a few things in common, like being good with weapons and fighting. This still did not mean he trusted her. He tolerated her. And now, looking at the scar gave him chills. Could he really shift into something that could do that to a person? If so, he didn't want to. Ever.

The silence around him brought his attention back, and he noticed everyone's wide eyes on him. Glancing down, he saw why.

His fingers were aligned with the marks, and with the glint in his eye, they worried he might shift right then and there. "Sorry," he murmured, taking his hand away from her shivering skin.

She was going to assure him that he did nothing wrong, but her words were cut off by flashing red lights. "Paladins, come quick," Allura shouted from the main deck. Rae followed the others, stopping just a few feet from the doors.

Shiro's leader mode kicked in as he questioned her urgency. "Were not under attack," Allura replied, a slight hitch in her voice. "But I fear the Galra are trying to harvest new crystals for weapons."

"Crystals?" Rae didn't hesitate to look at the main station's coordinates, recognizing the planet easily. "No.." she whispered, earning a few curious glances in her direction.

Hunk felt almost light-headed. "They're back on the Balmera?"

"No," said Rae as she hit a few buttons to enlarge the planet. "They're on Cryskos. Many thought the planet died after an explosion wiped away the population. That was a lie. The   
Galra found that only a layer of it was destroyed, so they sent ships filled with slaves to dig up the jewels." She gripped her crystal tightly. "That's how I got this. I've been on Cryskos before; I know the planet like the back of my hand. If they get enough of the right crystals, they'll have a weapon greater than any ion cannon."

"Then let's stop them before they do." Shiro examined the planet before making his call. "We'll enter over in the east, that has the least amount of activity. Rae, you know most about the planet, so you're gonna need a suit."

Rae's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. "Wait, seriously? I get to do a mission with you guys?" A huge grin sprouted. "Oh my gosh, yes!...I-I mean, thank you." She tried to tone down her excitement as Allura gently handed her the suit and helmet. Stepping out of the main deck, and waiting for the doors to close, she sprinted to her room to change. The suit matched Allura's, but instead of pink, her color was purple. Slipping her hair back into a ponytail, she put on the helmet and headed back, catching the others as they walked out.

"Okay, Rae, you're riding with Keith. His lion is the fastest so you'll get there first, make sure it's safe for the rest of us to land."

"Yes, sir." She almost planted her feet and saluted, but seeing as the others didn't, she followed their lead to not embarrass herself. They got to the lions and she couldn't help but gasp at their beauty. So ginormous and well-crafted that she wanted to give her compliments to the creator, even though he's been dead for over ten-thousand years.

Keith shouted for her to hurry up, and she rushed to follow. The Red Lion was intimidating. From the second she saw it, she felt smaller, like an ant. She pushed the thought aside and focused on the interior once she was in.

Red's monitors lit up as Keith took his seat, showing the exit out of the castle. Allura's face popped up on the right side. "I'm opening a portal to get you there faster, but be alert."

Shiro's voice came through the coms. "Got it. Now remember, that gives us two hours to stop the Galra from getting that weapon."

Keith nodded, gripping the handles and flew the lion out of the castle. Rae let out a yelp and latched onto the back of his seat for support.

The portal was up ahead. Rae dug her nails into the seat out of fear of the speed they were about to hit. She envied Keith for being safely planted into the seat while she would be left holding on for dear life.

It took five seconds for them to go from the castle to Cryskos. Rae was panting, her heart racing from the speed. "Woah," said Keith, which brought her focus into the planet.

Cryskos resembled a lump of coal, its black soil making it look eerie and dark, even with its sun shining. Specks of crystal could be seen, meaning the Galra completely broke off its top layer. "It's kind of...pretty," Pidge admitted, but that only made Rae's heart lurch more.

"This is nothing compared to its original state. The grass was mint colored and the trees were white with a rainbow of leaves. Plants were all vibrant colors, and the black soil was barely visible." Her voice started to break. "Why do the Galra have to destroy everything that was once beautiful?"

Silence filled the air until the touched down. "Can you still guide us," Shiro asked, placing a gentle hand on her back.

There was a long pause before Rae answered. "Of course. There are tunnels that lead to each layer. We only searched through the first three, and one is gone, but I still know my way." She trudged forward, with the others close behind.

Lance saw a crystal and immediately went to pick it up. "Don't touch that," Rae shouted, making him freeze.

"That's a yellow crystal. Yellows are explosives, they react on contact."

"Oh..." Lance quickly backed away, not wanting to get blown up.

"Do you know what they all do?" Pidge's curiosity grew with each crystal she saw.

Rae smiled. "Yes. One of my cellmates and I kept note of all the crystals we found, observing them and testing them to unlock their secrets. The Galra were only interested in the yellow, red, and purple ones. Red ones become a weapon, kind of like your bayards. But a big enough cluster of them can form a cannon blast that'll destroy entire planets in seconds." Picking up a red crystal by its center, it formed itself into a bow, with a laser-like string and arrows. "I'd suggest that you pick one up as well, Shiro, but you're already armed."

Lance, Pidge, and Hunk burst into laughter, while Keith looked annoyed. Shiro forced his laughter back, realizing she was trying to lighten the mood with the pun.

They followed Rae as she navigated the planet, pointing to certain places and gems, and muttering to herself. "If I'm correct," she stated. "The Galra will be in the center of the planet. There's a giant cluster of yellow crystals. My guess is that they will gather as many red crystals as they can, then blow up the planet completely so no one else can get the remaining crystals."

"That can't be entirely too bad, right?" Keith was staring at one of the trees. "I mean, the planets already dead."

"It's not the planet I'm worried about. Most think it's gone anyway." Rae turned to them with a dark look in her eyes. "It's the slaves. Once they get enough crystals, they won't need the slaves, and they'll leave them here to die."

Pidge looked horrified. "What if my brother's here? He was a prisoner along with Shiro."

"Don't worry," Shiro reassured her. "We'll find him." His eyes met Rae's, almost like he was pleading to her.

"Of course we will. Now, come on, we need to scope out the base, then find the prisoners, and get the crystals." Even she was having a hard time selling it like it was easy.

Shiro scanned the area, then his team. "Why don't we break off into groups? It'll help us cover more ground. Hunk and I will find the prisoners, Pidge and Lance will get the crystals, and Keith, you and Rae will get to the base. Find the weapon and destroy it."

Keith and Rae nodded, and after giving Pidge the list of the different colors and what they do, they ran off toward the center.

Half an hour passed before they paused to take a break, both gasping for air and holding their knees. "There should be a spring nearby. Just a mile west." Keith liked the idea of quenching his thirst, so he followed Rae.

Running the mile, Rae stopped so suddenly that Keith almost ran right into her. "What?" He snarled, still dying of thirst.

Her eyes were set on the black sludge that moved like honey down the path. "The spring...they poisoned it." She looked so devastated that it nearly broke Keith's heart. She talked about this place like it was beautiful, but now all that was left was an ugly, black mess.

"I'm sorry," was all he could say, as he awkwardly tried to comfort her the way Shiro did. He wanted to say more, but a speck of light whizzed in between them, causing both to turn their heads.

A group of Galra soldiers found them. Keith reached his bayard, letting it extend into a sword, and went to fight back. His intentions were put on hold as Rae grabbed his arm and slung him behind her as she took shelter behind a boulder. "What are you doing?" He shouted, but she just brushed it off.

"What's it look like?" She snapped back. "I'm saving your hide!" Peeking out from their shelter, she saw a small cluster of yellows crystals. A wide grin stretched from ear to ear. "I have an idea."

The look in her eye made him nervous, but she was already going through with her plan. Drawing back the bowstring, she took aim carefully, knowing the risk she was making if she missed. She let out a sigh and released the string, allowing the arrow to soar. Then, much to Keith's surprise, she wrapped her arms around him tightly, sheilding him from the impact. He thought of shoving her away, confident he could protect himself, but as the arrow touched the crystals, a bright light flashed before the loud bang froze his joints. He couldn't move even as the ground shook and cracked around him.

Rae's hold on him was strange, almost like a mother's to her child. Keith had no personal experience, but he observed others. She still didn't move after the explosion ended. Keith tried to wiggle out of her grasp, but she was stronger than him. "Rae, it's okay, I think it's-" A second explosion went off behind her, and as she had him in her steel grip, he could hear her stifle a scream.

"Rae?!" The second explosion stopped, and once he made sure another wouldn't be triggered, he brought his full attention to her.

Her eyes were squeezed shut, tears barely escaping from her lashes. She was in pain, he could tell. His hand went to her shoulder, only to get pricked by a shard of crystal. At seeing the yellow shard, he threw it aside, afraid it would detonate. Luckily, nothing happened.

Dozens of different colored crystal pieces penetrated the suit and skin on her back. Keith checked to make sure the soldiers were gone before turning back to the girl. Something about her was different. She seemed...bigger. Taller.

He removed her helmet and jumped back, staring down the creature with purple skin and hair.

The Galra.

His sword was pointed at her and her yellow eyes locked onto the tip. "I knew it," he screeched. "I knew you were hiding something! You had everyone else fooled, but not me. I'll put an end to you, monster."

Rearing back the sword, he noticed that she didn't attack. Instead, her hands moved to the back of her head, while she shifted until she was on her knees. Her head hung but her eyes were still on him, with tears streaming down her cheeks. He had never seen a Galra cry, surely she was just faking it to save her skin.

"I understand." Her voice shook with every word. "You must think I'm tricking you all. That I'm working for Zarkon. I don't blame you, I'd think the same thing...but what I'm telling you now is the truth. If you don't believe me, this will prove it." She pointed to a white crystal in the ground. Without dropping his weapon or his gaze, he grabbed the gem and stood once again. "If I lie, it'll glow."

Taking a good look at the crystal, he saw it's simplicity. It was cracked on one side, but still held its power as he told a basic lie to make sure it worked. Then, he nodded at her to start talking.

"I was born on Earth like you were. I went to school with humans, and learned as you did. I knew I was half Galra since I was little, but learned how to control the shift to preserve my life on Earth. Like I said before, I was twelve when the Galra came and kidnapped me."

The crystal remained dull.

"Zarkon wanted to make me a soldier, but soon realized my resilience. He then handed me over to the druids, and they tried to experiment on me. I don't remember what it is that I can do, all I remember is hearing the witch's voice, then I blacked out.

"All I want is to stop Zarkon like you guys, that's why I brought Shiro back to you. I couldn't let the Galra get their hands on Voltron."

Not once did the crystal glow, but Keith was still not convinced. He threw the gem down and refocused on his prior task. He couldn't let her live. She could easily hurt the others, or worse. He wasn't about to take that risk.

She seemed to read his thoughts because her eyes found interest in the ground. "I accept my fate."

Do it, his brain kept shouting. She's Galra! Her life means nothing! End her! His heart was saying something else, however. It was reminding him that he is like her. He was half Galra, too. Was he evil? No. Working for Zarkon? Definitely not. He was accusing her of something that, according to the crystal, wasn't true. She really was a slave. Beaten, and experimented on like Shiro. And right now she was trembling in fear in front of someone who was supposed to be a beacon of hope.

After a few minutes fighting with himself, he let out a frustrated scream and threw his bayard off to the side. He was weak; he couldn't kill her. She was not bad. In fact, she saved his life twice, saved Shiro, and even saved Lance from getting blown up. Her selflessness nearly got herself killed twice, yet she insisted that he do what he thought was right, while others would beg for mercy or fight back.

The purple hair darkened to black while her skin faded back to normal. Her grey eyes were staring into his, with so much gratitude that made his gut twist. She didn't want to die, but she was willing to if necessary. It was simply insane. "Come on. That explosion is going to bring a lot more soldiers here."

She forced herself to mask the shock. "That's going to be a little difficult." The pain was back on her face, and that's when he remembered the crystal shards embedded in her back, and with her back in human form, she lost the thick skin protecting her from bleeding out. She started to sink, but he caught her.

"I didn't spare your life only to let you die on your own!" He scooped her up and searched for any sort of shelter.

"Allura, we're not going to make it back in time. We haven't reached the weapon, and Rae and I ran into some trouble."

"No worries," Coran chimed. "We have your coordinates locked on, so we'll find you. Promise!"

"Great. Thanks Coran." He watched as the portal disappeared, leaving the Paladins stranded on a planet they still didn't quite understand. I just hope the others are alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading this chapter! And special shoutout to those who gave kudos! I really appreciate it. This chapter was really fun to type because it showed Rae in her element for the first time. Some might say Keith's reaction was a bit out of character, but the way I see it, with the shock of being half Galra still weighing on him, it's made him act out and not think properly. I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and as always, feedback is welcome. If you have questions or thoughts, I'd love to read them. Until next week!


	6. The Fate of Cryskos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A part two of Rae's First Mission where anything that could go wrong, does.

"How are we going to get to that?" Pidge whispered to Lance.

Lance picked up one of the crystals they had collected along the way. "We need some sort of diversion to get the guards away." As if on cue, a huge explosion made the guards jump and rush toward it. "Weren't Keith and Rae over there?" A sudden panic filled him at the thought of one of them hurt. Rae was super cool, and although he and Keith fought, Lance didn't want him to get hurt.

"Come on!" Pidge knocked him back to the present and he followed her.

There were over a hundred crates full of gems. They searched all of them and even tried to pick one up, with no luck.

Suddenly, Keith's voice came through the coms, stating that Rae was hurt and they weren't going to make it back in time. He and Pidge decided to find the others and come back, for there was no way they could pick up the crates on their own.

\------------------

Hunk gasped at seeing all the prisoners mining the black dirt, looking exhausted and beaten down. He thought of Rae in their position, struggling to stand. It made him shutter.

Shiro noticed. "We are going to get these people off of this planet. The only question is how?"

"What about those?" Hunk caught sight of four huge pods on the other side of the cavern.

Shiro patted the big man's back. "You're a genius!" They started to stand, but an explosion brought them to their knees. Shiro looked in the direction of the blast, and his head started to swim.

Keith.

He and Rae are there.

Looking over at Hunk, he could see that he was having similar thoughts.

Minutes passed before they heard Keith's voice. Luckily, the helmets showed a map where they were. He nodded to the yellow paladin and they set off.

\-------------------

Rae sat in the darkness of the cave, trembling from the cold it provided. She urged Keith to check on the weapon and the base, to see the progress. After the agonizing twenty minutes of him pulling the shards out of her back, she couldn't move. Even with the blue healing crystal, which she chewed on like a piece of ice, she still felt the pain.

With him gone, that left her with her old companion. Her thoughts. The silence of the cave acted as a projector for all the bad memories, all the terrible things she was put through, and everything she had done. She curled into a ball, her knees touching her nose, and her hands wrapping around herself to restrain herself.

Even though she worked to keep from falling into her memories, her mind wandered to the endless hours of labor she endured on this planet.

'"Get up!" The soldier plucked her from the group, despite her resilience. She was trying to gather enough people to overthrow the small army on Cryskos. So far she had a few Balmerans, the Kallervian twins, the warrior of Roe, and the human boy. She used to remember his name. Unfortunately, they had been caught and she was dragged away.

After being thrown in the Box, a metal cage that dangled over a huge fire, she had nothing but a large drape to cover her from the heat.

Hours passed before they chucked her out, smacking her in the back with their weapons, making the burns and blisters worse. By now, she had learned to hold back her screams of agony, but as soon as she was in their sleep hole, her tears escaped while she held onto the human. The one person she trusted most, and vice versa.'

"Rae?" Her head shot up, realizing her tears were streaming down now as they did then. Keith was standing in the opening, a look of concern across his face.

She smeared the tears and forced a smile. "So, what did you find?"

Keith kneeled down in front of her, unsure of how to handle her emotion. He wasn't much for hugs, but he tried. His arms carefully wrapped around her, finding her spine and deciding this was right.

It was the most awkward hug he had even given, and he almost felt bad that he couldn't comfort her properly. Instead, she folded her arms over him, pressing into him further as the silent tears continued to fall.

A minute passed before she let go. "I'm sorry you had to see that, I don't usually let people see me cry."

"It's okay to cry. You looked pretty deep in thought." He planted himself next to her, but not too close.

She was silent for a moment. "I was reminiscing my first visit here. It wasn't fun at all. Us slaves mined and carried gems until we dropped. They worked us to the bone, giving us very little sleep, and when we did, it was in a hole in the ground."

"Geez, that sounds awful."

She chuckled. "That's nothing. They had this pit of fire and dangling above it was a metal cage. If you tried anything to escape, you were thrown in the Box. I was thrown in twice. Stayed in for four hours once. Talk about torture."

He stared at her in disbelief. How could they be so cruel? He moved closer to her. Hearing all these stories made him regret being so mean when they first met. He was still hesitant, but he saw her as someone he could trust now. After all, she endured crystal shrapnel for him, and he was thankful because seeing her wriggle in pain as he plucked the crystal bits made him cringe.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How long did it take Shiro to regain his memories?"

He had to think for a moment. "It was a few days, I believe. Why?"

She suddenly blushed. Keith was unsure if it was from embarrassment or something else. "There was a human that I was with on this planet. I trusted him more than anyone, but...I can't remember his name. His face is even a blur." Sadness replaced the blush. She felt guilty for forgetting the face of someone so important to her.

"I'm sure you'll remember soon," he responded. "We'll find your boyfriend, I promise."

She tensed up. "He's not...at least I don't think he is...shut up!"

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Just don't tell him about your thing for Shiro."

She turned to him in confusion. "I don't have a thing for Shiro. I mean, sure, he's handsome, but I don't see him that way. Plus, he likes the princess."

"He is making it obvious, isn't he?"

"Somewhat. It's not as cute as you and Lance, though."

His face turned bright red. "W-what are you talking about?"

She just rolled her eyes, amazed at how terrible he was at hiding it. "It's nothing to be ashamed about. You like a guy, so what? That's more common than you think. Own it. You need to tell him how you feel."

"I don't feel anything toward Lance!" The lie pierced his chest like a knife. He didn't want to admit his fondness for the Blue Paladin, but when others pointed it out, especially a girl who barely knew him, it kind of forced his hand. He let out a long sigh of defeat. "How did you know?"

She gave a sweet smile. "I can sense it. And don't lie to me. I've only ever lied once and that was about these scars on my arm. Tell him how you feel. Whether he rejects or accepts, at least then you would know that you tried. You're the Red Paladin of Voltron, I think you can handle confessing to a crush."

"Can we not talk about this?" He screeched, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away from her.

She didn't push it, and he was thankful. "Very well. So, what did you see? How far along is the weapon?"

He almost forget all about his journey to the center of Cryskos. "It's almost complete. They probably only need a few more to finish, then they'll test it. Or so I heard from the one guard."

"Hmm," she thought for a moment all of their options. Coming up with a few decent ones, she heard footsteps that jolted her to her feet. "Get behind me," she whispered, leaning against the side wall with her bow in hand.

She pulled back the string as the steps grew louder, closer, until they were right next to the entrance. Rae leaped out and came extremely close to shooting Lance, who was also ready to shoot her. They both let out the air they held in, and would've started laughing if it wasn't for the fact of being stuck on a planet with Galra soldiers and explosives.

"Geez, I thought you were a Galra! You scared the crap out of me!"

"Sorry, Lance," Rae apologized, lowering her weapon. "We were worried you were guards. After the last encounter, we're trying to be more careful."

Pidge noticed a nervous look cross Rae's eyes, but she masked it quickly. "We saw an explosion," she mentioned.

Keith emerged from the cave. "Yeah, that was Rae. She shot an arrow at a cluster of yellow crystals, and it created an aftershock. Thankfully, blue crystals hold healing powers because Rae looked like a porcupine."

"Hey!" Rae smacked him upside the head, scowling. "It was either that or your death, and you Paladins are more important."

Just then, Shiro and Hunk appeared over the hill. "I see how it is. Have a party and don't invite us," Shiro joked, happy to find his teammates. Hunk was too, squeezing all the others together in a giant group hug. He looked on the verge of tears.

"We thought one of you died! I was so worried."

Rae suddenly became shy, backing out of his grip and turning back toward the cave. "We all should get some rest and come up with a new plan. The weapon is almost complete, so we have to figure out our next move."

Shiro's concern was evident, but he shrugged it off for now. "She's right. Everyone in the cave."

After setting up a small fire and circling around it, Rae looked in the bag of gems Pidge and Lance found.

"Holy crow! How did you find this many on one path? It's simply amazing!" She gawked over the crystals, like Pidge does over technology. Pulling out one of each, she educated the others. "The blue possess healing abilities, and are usually around water. Red are weapons obviously, green are growth."

"We found those near some patches of grass," Lance informed.

This made Rae smile, but it was sad. "These are extremely rare now, with how the planet looks. Most were on the top layer, making the planet beautiful beyond belief."

"It's too bad we can't see it for ourselves," Hunk pouted. He looked so sweet and sad, Rae couldn't take it.

"Here." She picked up a mint-colored crystal and handed it to him. "Look through it, it'll show the true form of anything. You can see the planet in its prime."

He squeaked with excitement, taking the crystal and peeking through it. The black soil was replaced with a beautiful, mint-colored field, with flowers of red, green, orange, and pink that glowed as the wind blew. Rocks were golden, and even the animals looked crystallized, taking on an assortment of vibrant colors. The sky was as purple as Rae's crystal. "Wow," he breathed.

"My turn!" Lance snatched the crystal from Hunk, and took a look for himself. "Woah, this is so gorgeous!" He gazed through the crystal, taking in the glorious view before turning back to the others, the gem still up to his eye.

"Wait, Lance!" Keith tried to stop him, but Lance's eyes were on him.

"Dude, you look so different," he stated, taking in the image of Keith in Galra form. The mullet was the same, just tinted purple, but his skin was lavender and his eyes were yellow with purple irises. Fangs poked from his bottom lip, and big, fluffy ears replaced his normal ears. Lance almost blushed with how strangely cute he looked.

Keith looked confused, but it quickly turned to panic. Lance didn't know why, at least not until he shifted his gaze to Rae. He froze, seeing the girl that looked exactly like Keith, minus the length of hair and the white streaks in her hair. Seeing the girl he'd come to love hanging around, now revealed as a Galra, he dropped the crystal, letting it shatter on the ground. "You..."

"I can explain," Rae quickly spoke, fear clear on her face.

Shiro shifted his gaze from the two. "What's going on?"

Within two seconds, Lance had his blaster out and aimed at Rae's head. There was a small panic between everyone except her.

Rae puffed out her cheeks. "All I wanted was to tell everyone on my own terms, but did that happen? No! So, you know what? Fine!" She grew two feet, shifting to Galra form.

"So, this was the big secret," Shiro sighed, not in disappointment, but almost relief. "Lance, put your gun down."

Lance was baffled. "But...she's Galra! She's going to trap us here and blow up the joint!"

Shiro stood, his face became stern. "Lance! She's not going to hurt us. She's probably with the Blade. Right?"

Rae glanced at Shiro. "No, I'm not with the Blade. I was a slave for Zarkon, and I'd love to put a stop to his plans. I'm your ally, not his. I know of your alliance with the Blade of Marmora, and you have Keith, so I hoped you would accept me, but if not...then leave me here."

The only sound was the drops of black water that leaked though the edge of the cave. Everyone seemed to cool down. Finally, Lance put his bayard down. "I guess that explains how you know so much about the Galra. Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

She raised one eyebrow. "Really? Because of yours and Keith's reaction. He almost decapitated me. It's cool now, though. We've been able to talk more and stuff."

Shiro shot a look at Keith, who lowered his gaze to avoid the glare. "What I don't understand is why Zarkon would hold a Galra captive."

Rae planted her rear onto the ground. "I'm only half Galra. He doesn't like my kind, thinks we're weaker, more vulnerable to emotions, which is true to a point. However, we're strong enough to survive some of Haggar's experiments."

Hunk gasped. "You mean that witch did to you what she did to Shiro?" All eyes landed on her hands.

"I don't know. It's hard to remember." She held up her hands, analyzing every fiber for signs of the quintessence. "I have no bio-mechanical parts, so that's good to know." Her eyes moved to Shiro's metallic arm in curiosity. Inching her hand toward his, he suddenly saw what she was trying to do.

The second Shiro moved his hand toward hers, the bionic hand turned pink-purple and started to glow. Both sets of eyes stared in shock, as they raised their hands up higher, watching how the light faded as she pulled away, and grew more vibrant once her hand was close. Her curiosity grew and she grabbed the hand quickly. Panic filled the cave, but strangely nothing happened. Their enlaced hands remained for a minute or two, until Lance's "awe"s made them blush and pull away.

"Fascinating," Rae whispered, staring at her hand. She didn't feel any pain from the quintessence. Actually, she amplified it once her hand reached his. She made a mental note to do a full scan on herself once she was back in the castle.

The silence became awkward, unbearable as she tended the fire. Thankfully, Lance and Hunk jumped into some stories of their time in the Garrison. All their late night sneak outs only to nearly get caught by Iverson. That made Shiro bust out laughing as he added in his own encounters with the General. Pidge told her tale as well, which had everyone cracking up because one tiny girl talking the way she did to a man like that was absurd. Rae listened to all the stories and jokes, but her heart wretched. She had always dreamed of joining the Garrison, becoming a medical officer, or a pilot to explore the universe. She was pretty good at both, being that she tended to most of her friends' wounds, and piloted a ship as a distraction for the Galra. Unfortunately for her, that dream could never come true. She wasn't even sure if she could go back to Earth.

"Alright," Shiro cut in, as everyone was trying to get Keith the share a story of his own. "We still have a job to do here, so we need some sleep. I'll stay up and take first watch."

No one objected. Hunk plopped down and was out in seconds. Lance, who was having a hard time getting comfortable, found his way to Hunk and rested his head on his stomach. Pidge followed his lead, admitting it was for heat purposes. "Plus, he's super comfy." Shiro chuckled, then looked over to Rae.

She lay alone on the cold, hard ground on the other side of the cave, her back turned to everyone. "Why did you try to kill her?" He whispered to Keith once he was certain everyone else was asleep.

Keith avoided eye contact. "I...I was just...I don't know. I panicked, I guess. She saved me from the shrapnel, but then she looked Galra and I overreacted." He looked guilty , and that made Shiro relax. He didn't want Keith to go on a rampage again.

"Well, I guess now you have someone who really understands what you're going through." Shiro wasn't going to lie, he had no clue how to handle Keith being Galra. Especially after being told that he'll probably shift into one. "And you have someone to help if you shift."

"Oh god, don't bring that up. Even though she made up the story, she still knows what happens cause she's already went through it. I don't want to hurt anyone." Keith sounded scared, which is extremely rare. He usually bottles up his emotions, only letting them slip when absolutely necessary.

Shiro patted him on the back. "Don't worry. You're not going to hurt anyone with her around."

"Oh, great," Keith scoffed. "That makes me feel better. It's bad enough the girl protects me like I'm her own kid!"

Shiro snapped his head to look at Keith. "What?"

Keith raised his fingers as he recalled the events. "She took a shot for me, pulled me away from Galra soldiers, and became a human shield. I had to pull at least a hundred pieces of crystal shards from her back because of her recklessness! Add that along with all the times she was overprotective during training." He puffed out his cheeks, almost annoyed. "I just don't know what her deal is."

"Maybe she feels connected to you. I mean, she probably hasn't met very many half-breeds before, so she's trying to keep you safe because she doesn't want to be alone," Shiro suggested.

Glancing over at her, Keith sighed. "She keeps mentioning how I'm more important because I'm a Paladin. Like there wouldn't be anyone to replace me if something happened. So, maybe it's just because I'm a part of Voltron. But that still doesn't justify such rash actions." He hated when she said that. No one should die for him. She shouldn't have to jump into every danger zone for him. He wasn't that special.

"Or," Shiro smirked, about to say something crazy and possibly stupid. "Maybe she's got a huge crush on you." He started laughing.

Keith's face scrunched up. "No," he stated without hesitation. "One, she's closer to your age than mine, and two, she confronted me about you-know-who. Also, she doesn't have that look in her eye like you do when you see Allura. It's more like...I don't know exactly, but it's not a crush."

Shiro's laughing finally settled. "Fine, I'll stop teasing you. I will admit, it's kinda fun. Now I know why Lance does it all the time. Anyway, since we've cleared that up, you need to sleep."

Shrugging, Keith scooted over a bit, propped up against the wall, and fell asleep within a minute.

\----------------------

'"Let me go!" She screamed at the soldier who was dragging her across the floor. He was leading her to the witch for the fourth time that week.

After ten minutes of fighting and squirming, only to be kicked in the side, they finally arrived. A metal table lay in the center of the room and she was thrown onto it. Not set down gently, literally thrown. Straps were latched, restricting her hands, torso, and legs before the Galra man left.

"Please! Someone! Anyone! Please, help me!" She was almost in tears, desperate for any sort of help. Haggar's experiments were the most excruciating pain she's ever endured, leaving her numb for at least a full day. The human (why couldn't she remember his name?) did everything in his power to cheer her up once she was back in her cell, but sometimes his jokes didn't work. Oh, how she wanted to be back in her cell, talking to him further about their escape plan.

Haggar's entry shook her out of her thoughts. She approached carefully, examining the girl before raising her hands. "Your process is almost complete. You will become my greatest weapon, and Voltron will cease to exist." Her scratchy voice made Rae's spine tense up, and her toes coil.

"Why? Why are you doing this to me?" She cried. "How can you make me a weapon that powerful?" A million more questions lingered in her head, but she silenced them.

Haggar sprouted a wicked grin as she turned Rae's face to the side. "Trial and error." Rae stared in horror at the severed arm in a giant glass jar. She heard stories of the man who lost his arm, along with her friend who lost his leg. What would the witch take from her? An arm? Leg? Eye? Heart? At the thought of that last one, she couldn't help but scream and struggle out of the shackles, to no avail. "Don't worry, child. You won't remember a thing." She placed two cold, long fingers on the girl's forehead and suddenly lightning appeared. No, not lightning.

Quintessence.'

Rae shot up from her sleep spot, heart pounding over the nightmare. Panting like she just finished a eighty mile run, she holds her hand over her heart to calm its rapid rhythm.

"Nightmare?"

She almost screamed and leaped into the ceiling of the cave at the sound of Shiro's voice. Now she had to calm her heart yet again. "I didn't think you'd still be awake."

"Sorry," he said, though it sounded more like a question. "I just don't want anyone to stumble in on us and attack."

"Galra sleep, too, you know," she replied, matter-of-factly. "But if you'd like, I can take next watch. You need to rest."

He shook his head slightly. "I'm good. So, might I ask what happened in your dream?"

She sighed, knowing he wasn't going to forget about it. "I was in my cell. Haggar ordered a guard to bring me to her, she had been working on me for weeks. She told me I was going to be the greatest weapon, and Voltron would cease to exist. All I remember is the pain I felt, then the comforting voice of my cellmate. And quintessence. Whatever she did involved quintessence."

Shiro was silent for a few ticks, then spoke in a soft, gentle tone. "We'll figure it out, okay? As soon as we get back to the castle, you can scan for any quintessence and we'll go from there." He noticed her eyes shifting to Keith with sadness. "You're protective over him because he's like you, right?"

"Partially." Her sad eyes move to look into Shiro's. "But mainly he reminds me of someone. Someone I swore to protect until my dying day."

Shiro understood that. He was so protective of Pidge because of her brother and father, and he promised her that he'd find them both. It brought to question who Rae made that promise to. She mentioned a brother and father, so maybe it was one of them? He didn't know, and judging by her distant expression, he didn't dare ask. Instead, he stretched his arms and yawned. "I think I will take you up on that offer now." Leaning back against the cool wall, he could feel himself already dozing off.

"Go ahead. You need the beauty sleep." She giggled, but it was faint, for his brain was shutting down quickly.

For the first time in awhile, Shiro had no nightmares. No dreams at all. It was an uneventful sleep. However, the quaking of the earth proved otherwise in reality.

"Shiro! Get up!" Rae shook him until his eyes opened, slightly panicked. She looked worried, and dropped him to wake the others. "Get up now!"

Hunk's rapid movement threw Pidge and Lance to the side, both looking rather unhappy. Keith was up, bayard in hand, ready to fight. "What's going on?"

Rae's purple ears folded back. "The weapon is complete. They're testing it."

"What?" Lance screeched. "I thought you said-"

"I said it was almost complete!" She had her bow in hand, back against the wall, watching as soldiers moved toward the base. One turned their way, barely lifting his blaster before an arrow pierced his chest. "Let's go!"

The team left the safety of their cave and formed a circle, protecting at all angles. Shiro carried the bag of crystals as the others had their weapons ready to go.

Within the three miles between the cave and Galra base, Rae shot down twelve sentries, Lance hit eight, and Hunk hit five. Four managed to sneak up closer only to get knocked down by Pidge and Keith. Not once did they break their circle.

"Woohoo! We made it," Lance boasted as they reached the wall of the base. Looking around, Rae noticed the number of soldiers grew exponentially from her last visit. They had to think carefully to get to the weapon in one piece.

Without a word, she slid the bag off of Shiro's arm, ignoring the quizzical looks, and started digging through the gems. After carefully collecting two orange ones, she tossed the bag back to Shiro and looked for an opening. "You guys might want to step back," she warned as she found an opening. Every guard in sight saw her and raised their weapons, repeating "Prisoner 8629-1".

An evil grin formed on her face as her grip tightened on the crystals. The others stepped back carefully, fearing the worst. She took two steps into the opening, making sure her plan wouldn't backfire. "Alright boys, you got me." She raised her hands in defeat. The sentries inched closer to the girl, which only made her grin wider. "But did you really think I would give up without a fight?"

With crystals still in hand, she brought them down and scraped one against the other. A single spark turned into a wave of flames that stretched to each corner of the wall.

The Paladins poked their heads out from behind the wall, gaping at the damage the two crystals caused. It was more than a fire blast from Red. Galra soldiers were running and trying to put out the fires on the base and their comrades. "How did you-" Keith started.

"Fire crystals. One spark packs more punch than a giant flamethrower," Rae proudly confirmed. "Come on!"

They were led to the weapon, a giant red crystal in the form of a super-sized ion cannon. "How are we going to destroy that?!"

Rae scanned around, noticing the entry that led to the prisoners. "I'll get the prisoners out of here. You need your lions. Voltron might just be the only way to destroy that cannon."   
They all nodded in agreement and split.

Reaching the prisoners was easy, getting them out was the tricky part. Guards surrounded the giant hole they were in, leaving her to think fast. With bow in hand, she aimed at the sky and sent the beam of light up into the air. As she imagined, the arrow split off and zipped through each soldier, not killing, but seriously injuring them. "Everyone, follow me!"   
She ran, leading all the prisoners to the pods that were still docked. Stepping off to the side, to make sure everyone was safely aboard, she found herself searching for the human companion. Unfortunately, since she couldn't remember his face, it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. None of the prisoners looked human, though, so she put off the search and finished filing them in to the pods.

After redirecting their destination, she hit a large button, sending the shiny pods into space. She watched for a minute, hearing their thanks through the glass.

The tender moment was short-lived, as a sentry reached out, grabbing her hair and ripping her head back to face him. She shifted to Galra form, giving her a better chance at fighting the man, but that only helped a little. This one was a lot stronger, and knew all too well how to fight. By his stance, she could tell he specialized in hand-to-hand combat.   
As quick as lightning, he kicked the bow out of her hand and landed a punch right to her gut.

It took all of two seconds to regain her breath and thoughts, and in that time, her anger flared. She swings, her fist moving right to the man's jaw, knocking him off the ground. He was down for the moment, so she decided to run to the weapon. She got about a quarter of the way before she heard something that sounded like a rocket and a lion's roar.   
Looking up as it flew over her head, her breath hitched at such a beautiful sight.

Voltron! It and all its glory was here! Hearing the stories of the defender put a lot of images in her head, but even her wildest dream was nothing compared to the machine that touched down in front of her. It was massive, reaching at least fifty feet. It shined in the sun and made every Galra that inhabited the planet freeze, then run.

She heard a muffled noise, then realized it was probably one of them trying to communicate. Her eyes caught sight of a little button on the cuff of her suit and pressed, feeling a new helmet materializing. "Okay, team, we have one goal and that's taking out that weapon. Rae, are all the prisoners okay?"

Rae smiled victoriously. "They are, Shiro. The pods have already been loaded and have flown away to a safer planet, one not in Galra hands."

"Good work." His leader voice was different compared to his casual one. Rae could sense the brave front he put on. "Now, about that weapon."

"I've never seen one this big," Rae noted.

"I say let's cut it down!" Keith and Pidge's lions slammed together, then pulled away to create a massive sword, one that made Rae envious. She loved giant swords.

The Red lion's head reared back and came down furiously on the cannon. There was a flash, then Voltron shot back, and Rae sailed into the cavern the prisoners mined. "Rae? Are you alright," she could hear Lance ask. "What the heck happened? How did that not work?"

"I don't know," Keith groaned. Within seconds, Voltron was back up. Rae looked around for a plan b when her eyes caught a small glint of yellow. "I have an idea," she exclaimed, standing up and walking toward one of the tunnels that was mined. "However, it is highly dangerous."

"Can't be more dangerous that being a human shield," Keith chimed in.

Rae sighed, knowing the chances of survival being slim to none. "It is a hundred times more dangerous. Voltron must go. Leave the planet and stay a good distance away until Allura opens the portal back up."

There was silence for a moment. Shiro sounded worried. "Rae, what's your plan?"

More silence. She gazed into the tunnel, knowing where it leads, then picked up a giant axe, one which belonged to the lead guard.

"Similar to the Galra's. I'm going to destroy planet Cryskos."

"What?!" They all shouted in unison.

"You can't do that!" Pidge screeched.

Hunk sounded nearly in tears. "You're one of us now, you can't just do that!"

"Yeah, you'll die!" Lance piped up. "And then Hunk will be a crying mess!"

"Rae, think about this, please." Keith never liked to beg, but this girl became their ally, their friend. She was just like him and he didn't want to lose her. "You're a part of Voltron, we can't lose you."

"Enough!" Rae managed to scream even though she was holding back a sob. She never expected them to argue, or care this much. "You five are the Paladins. The world needs you! Not me. You are the defenders of the universe! You will bring peace to the galaxy, and go home to your families." Her voice cracks at the mention of family. "It is my honor to die for you. Now, go!" She plunges into the darkness of the tunnel, her footsteps creating enough sound for the pink crystals to light her way.

The cries of the five still ring through her ears as she still wears the helmet. Part of her thought to chuck it off, but she would need the air to get to her destination.

Miles after miles, she finally stopped. She made it, the center of the planet. In front of her was the biggest cluster of yellow crystals she had ever seen. It stretched fifty feet across and touched the ceiling thirty feet up. She no longer could hear her friends, and she let out the sob she so desperately held back.

Sensing that Voltron was not on the planet, she managed to smile.

"Goodbye, my friends. Goodbye brother."

She let out a cry that would make an old friend proud and drove the axe into the cluster.

\--------------------

Even Shiro wanted to stay, but he had to put his team's needs before his wants. Rae was right, they had a universe to save, they couldn't do that if they died here. "We need to leave."

"But..." Pidge started to speak through the tears, but even she caved to the silence.

They left, keeping a good distance from the planet before looking back. He could feel their sadness. Another planet gone, another ally...gone. This was supposed to be a victory, but all Shiro could feel was defeat.

A yellow flash spread across the planet, followed by a wave. Within a minute, Cryskos was nothing but rubble. Even the crystals were destroyed.

Shiro wanted to scream. To kick and curse and let out all this built up anger and frustration, but he refrained. The others couldn't see him like that. He finally turned the machine around, heading closer to where the portal should be.

Allura's face showed up on the monitor. "Paladins, thank goodness you're okay! I'm opening the portal now. You six will be home in a tick."

The portal opened, its blue light reflecting off of Voltron in a way that would've been beautiful. Circumstances prevented the Paladins from seeing that, though.

"Allura," Shiro started weakly, his voice nearly giving out. "There's only us five here. Rae...she..." he couldn't finish. Couldn't say it out loud. Allura held a hand over her mouth, knowing full well what he was trying to say.

"Shiro, that blast happened twenty seconds ago, and you're already telling people I'm dead? For shame." The Paladins perked up at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Rae!"

Rae laughed at the loud, incoherent shouts of her friends. "Fun fact about yellow crystals. A big enough cluster takes about ten seconds to detonate. I was thankful for the boosters on my suit; otherwise, I would've been crisp."

Shiro smiled, breathing a sigh of relief. "Alright, six Paladins are coming home." Rae latched onto the green lion and Voltron shot through the portal.

Allura greeted the six as the exited their lions. "I take it the mission was a success?"

Rae planted her feet and actually saluted, feeling way to happy to care about embarrassment. "The weapon was destroyed, and prisoners were safely flying toward Aleriea, ma'am!"   
Her stance didn't last long, for Hunk scooped her up and started spinning, earning laughs from Allura and Rae.

"Hunk, stop, I'm gonna puke!"

"No way! You scared us! Puking is punishment for that, you crazy, little Galra halfbreed!" His laughter and spinning stopped as he realized his mistake. Quickly setting her down, he went to apologize. "Oh, man, I'm so sorry. I know you wanted to tell on your own terms and-"

"It's alright, Hunk." Rae smiled, then turned to Allura. "Princess, there's something you need to know." She shifted back to Galra form, holding her hands together shyly, waiting for the shrieking and Altean curses.

Instead, Allura just smiled. "You have proved to be a grand ally, regardless of your race. I will not make the mistake of disliking a Galra ally again." She shook hands with Rae, which made Hunk bawl like a baby.

"It's just so beautiful and touching." He leans on Pidge, who looks ready to hit him with her spade to get him off. The two girls just laugh.

"So," Rae said nonchalantly. "When's my next mission?"

Shiro burst into laughter, then regained seriousness three seconds later. "Absolutely not. You're not going on a mission for awhile."

"But-"

"Nope!"

Rae scowls at him, earning a few chuckles from Pidge, Lance, and Keith. It was good to see them all in high spirits, Rae told herself to be more careful. For the first time in a long time, she felt wanted. She had friends and she would protect them and help them with everything she had. She wasn't going to lose these ones; she refused to let history repeat itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A day late, but here it is! Chapter six! This chapter revealed a few more mysteries of Rae, plus brought in a dash of quality bonding moments (to which everyone will remember). Thanks again for following along! As always, I'd love to hear from you guys, so comments are welcome!


	7. Secrets Unfold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, had no internet yesterday to be able to post. This chapter is pretty well summed up, A few of Rae's secrets get leaked out, and a new Galra general comes into play. Enjoy!

Rae was officially grounded from missions. Three missions appeared, and each time Shiro shot her down. "I am not letting you get yourself killed again!"

"Come on, Shiro! Can I at least help from the castle?" She tried to pull off a pouty face, but he didn't budge.

"No! I'm sorry, but no."

After finally giving up and watching from the sidelines, she and Coran made up a game, betting on which lion would take out the most ships. So far, she was winning because she kept betting on Keith. No one knew why, but she seemed to have a specific liking to the other halfbreed.

However, with all the games and chats, nothing cured her itch for another mission. She wanted to explore, to feel an actual atmosphere around her. Instead, she either ventured through the corridors, took a dip in the Altean pool, or went a few rounds with the Gladiator in the training room.

When the others finally returned, she had stabbed her thirtieth drone. "Was your mission a success," she questioned, pulling the knife out of the robot, ending the training.

"Yes," answered Pidge, who was fiddling with a small knife in her hand. "We brought you back a souvenir." She handed Rae the knife, an elegant bronze dagger with a somewhat Celtic looking hilt. "I found it on our way out, and since it has a purple gem, and it's a knife, I thought you'd like it."

Rae's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "It's so beautiful! Oh my gosh!" She gingerly takes the dagger and holds it in her hands, afraid it might shatter. "Thank you, Pidge. I love it."

She and Pidge spent the next few hours going from training routines, letting Rae get used to her new blade and teaching Pidge more hand-to-hand combat maneuvers, to Pidge's makeshift lab, where Rae learned a great deal about the technology on the ship. Pidge was surprised to see her learning so fast. "What are you, a tech genius too?"

"No," Rae replied casually, throwing her knife up in the air and catching it. "I'm just a fast learner. With tech, I get a weird sense of how it's supposed to work. It's like it tells me what to do."

Pidge looked at her, obviously concerned. "The tech is telling you what to do...the only tech I know that can do that are the lions."

"Okay, then I guess I'm crazy. Wouldn't be the first time I've been called that." Rae looked around, bored as their conversation started to die.

After a long pause, Pidge decided to bring up a subject she hoped wasn't too touchy. "So, tell me about your brother."

Rae's body became tense. "M-my brother?"

"Well, yeah," Pidge recalled. "You've mentioned him a time or two, but you never went into any details. I'm just curious." And she was. Pidge was famous for that trait, but it was sometimes infamous, too. It tended to get her in a lot of trouble at times.

Rae smiled softly at the small girl, realized she had the same curiosity as herself. "Well," she started, hesitating on what to say. "He was so sweet. It was always me and him, that's how we liked it. We looked after each other even though I was three years older than him. But he was a coin. One side is sweet and caring, the other is fierce and aggressive. Of course, the same could be said about me."

"Obviously," Pidge commented, remembering their first encounter with her.

"Yeah." Rae's voice became soft. "I used to dance with him and read him bedtime stories, sometimes even sing if he asked. I missed so much of him growing up, though. I'll never get those years back." Sadness flooded her body, but she forced back the tears.

Pidge knew where she was going through. She patted Rae's knee and smiled. "It's okay to be sad about it. I'm sad, too. I lost my dad and brother on the Kerberos mission, they were taken by Zarkon. But I keep my head up and search for them still."

"That's because you are strong."

"So are you. You survived nine years in a Galra prison, and you blew up a planet!"

Rae smiled. She was pleased to have Pidge around. Another girl on the ship that missed Earth just as much and actually understood earthen terms. Allura wasn't bad, but she was still clueless to most of Earth's customs.

"Here." Pidge placed a small purple device in her hand. It looked like a souped up IPod, and even had a jack for headphones. Rae pressed what she guessed was the power button and the screen lit up, revealing a chibi form of herself, smiling and waving back at her. Rae couldn't help but chuckle. "I can add whatever music you want on here, it holds a lot. You can listen to it whenever you miss your brother, or if you're ever just sad. It helps me sometimes."

"Thank you, Pidge." The two spent two hours searching and downloading songs, most from Keith's playlist, but Pidge was surprised to find Rae taking a liking to pop artists from Lance's, too. "I need some upbeat stuff, too," was Rae's excuse. Pidge just laughed as she finished. She handed the older girl a pair of headphones and watched as the girl left, slipping the headphones into her ears.

Rae was in love with her music player. She listened for hours, drumming to the beat of rock songs and singing along with the "emo ones" quietly as she stayed in her room, writing in her log and doodling on the pages as well. She liked to keep up with daily events, so everyday she'd write. She loved to write and draw, but with the lack of excitement, her entries became shorter and shorter. Her mind wandered and she started drawing herself and Pidge, but as her eyes grew heavy from fatigue, she accidentally made Pidge taller than her, and look slightly more masculine. Blaming the fatigue and the fact that she hasn't drawn in years, she layed her head on the desk, passing out instantly.

In her sleep, her mind wandered a million times more. This time, she was catching bits and pieces of a memory. Crimson hair flowed in front of her face, then she saw a pair of shattered glasses, and finally, she heard a voice. A male voice which filled her with such hope and joy. "Don't worry. I will always protect you." She couldn't help but smile, even though the voice was unrecognizable. However, the smile faded as a cackle split through her pleasant dream, forcing her to shake with fear. Her skin suddenly felt hot, and from the ground she could see a pink-purple light around her. As the light became brighter, her skin felt hotter until she couldn't breathe. She looked down at her hands and they were the same color as the light. The color of quintessence.

Jolting from her seat, the witch's cackle still rung in her ears. Rae's heart was beating rapidly, trying to calm after the nightmare. A bead of sweat trickled from her forehead, landing on the paper. She decided she needed to relieve herself from the confines of her room, and went for the door. Upon opening the door, she froze as she saw Keith standing there, about to knock. He froze as well. "Um..."

A smile appeared on her face at seeing the awkward boy. "Did I miss something? I fell asleep."

"No," he answered, pulling his hand down to his side again. "I heard you shouting."

Her eyes widened, she didn't realize the nightmare was that bad. "Oh...I'm sorry." She blushed slightly, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "It was just a nightmare. Don't worry, I'm okay."

He didn't look convinced, but he dropped the subject. "So, I'm going to go to the training room. I could use a sparring partner if you're up for it."

A wicked grin crossed her face as she decided to tease the boy. "Why don't you ask Lance? One move and you could end up in his lap, or vice versa." Her smile grew as his cheeks lit up. "Yeah, you're not quite ready for that. Sure, I'll spar." She laughed as she stepped out of her room, taking the boy's arm as he had frozen up again, and dragged him to the training room.

It took seconds for him to go from his frozen state to battle-ready Paladin, and even though he was one of their best fighters, Rae proved to be a challenge for him. She was fast and agile like a cat, leaping off walls, and even crawling onto him to take him to the ground. He was impressed.

As the hour reached its end, both halfbreeds were on the cool metal floor, panting. They overdid their training, but in their defense, it was the others fault. Keith would nag about her stance and movements, while Rae teased him about Lance. In the end, though, they both laughed. It felt good bonding with her, better than with the others. Keith felt like he could share anything with her and trust her with his very life. He didn't feel awkward around her anymore, which was even better.

Shiro came in, noticing the two bodies on the floor. "I see you two took advantage of your free time."

"Yep," Rae replied, flashing a huge smile. "Training and bonding, the two most important exercises for Paladins."

"Although, it's a little unfair training with her. She's like a freaking gymnast." Keith's word sparked a newfound energy in Rae and she lifted herself up, putting all her weight onto her hands as she walked toward Shiro, then flipped back onto her feet.

Shiro looked flabbergasted, which made Keith laugh. Rae was in such a good mood, she laughed, ignoring the fatigue as she nearly skipped down the corridor.

"I don't think I've ever seen her this happy," Shiro commented once she was out the door.

Keith nodded. "I know, but it's great. I think Pidge is going to try and help her find her brother. I overheard them talking about him. But...there was one point today, just before training. She was shouting at someone...or something. I don't know what about, but she sounded in a panic."

Shiro seemed alarmed by this. "She was in a Galra prison for a long time. Even I still have nightmares about it. But she'll be okay. She's in the castle now and has all of us to keep her safe."

"She seems to take care of herself just fine. I only won once and we fought like twenty rounds." Keith was amazed he lasted that long, but he made a mental note to get some tips next time. He loved her surprise attacks and split second changes in movement to throw him off. It was her very own fighting style and he wanted to learn it.

Upon going back to her room, Rae tucked away the drawing, then proceeded to stand in front of her mirror. Her hair looked healthier due to all the showers, and her skin was practically glowing, but as she stared at her reflection, she noticed a ton of faults. There was no wave or curl to her long locks, they just kinda stayed dull and straight and lifeless. Her skin was paler than anyone else's on the ship, making her feel like a ghost. She hated her two white streaks, and hated her scars on her face and body. Oh, how she dreamed of looking like she use to before. Brown voluminous hair, tan skin, the stars in her grey eyes as she got excited over almost everything. Now everything was dull, black and white. There was no color for her anymore. Not since she lost him.

She shook her head, forcing the depressing thoughts away. She was happy with the Paladins, but it wasn't the same. Eventually she always came back to those awful thoughts, the voices in her head screaming at her, telling her she was nothing but a project. A useful host for Zarkon's plan. She refused to be anything for him, but force took over. Looking down at her hands, the burning sensation reemerged. Her hands shined almost like Shiro's, as she could feel the quintessence coursing through her veins. This is what they did to me, she thought. It all clicked together, and after she scanned herself the day after her near-death experience, the proof was evident. She didn't dare tell the others yet, out of fear of what they'd do. They wouldn't understand. Hell, she didn't even understand it. Why would they do this, what's the purpose? And how was she still alive? These were questions she could not answer. Once she could figure it all out, then she would tell them. Hopefully, they would understand her reasons for keeping it secret.

After the quintessence went away and her skin was back to normal, she decided a nice hot shower was what she needed to calm down. After all, she worked up quite a sweat sparring.

Ten minutes into her relaxing shower, the alarms started blaring. Seriously? Rae thought, clearly annoyed at the interruption. Luckily, she had already washed her hair. She exited the shower, finding only a silk robe hanging on the rack. Figures. She didn't even have time to dry off as she slipped the robe on, tightened the belt to make sure it didn't slip, and rushed to the bridge for orders.

"We've been found by another fleet," shrieked the princess from her post. All the others were in place, gazing at monitors to locate and scan the ships.

Pidge skimmed over her screen. "This one's larger than the last."

"With way more weapons," Hunk spoke, trying to sink into his chair to hide from the inevitable. "And ion cannons!"

"Hunk, cool it! We can handle this; we always do." Lance was being extra confident, but Rae could sense his insecurities and fear.

Shiro stood, strong and tall, speaking with his cliche leader voice. "As long as we act as one, we can take this fleet like all the ones before. We just have to...focus..." His voice trailed off as he turned, noticing the girl in nothing but a robe, still sopping wet. A light blush coated his cheeks as his eyes couldn't help but look her over, which he immediately regretted.

Rae had her arms crossed over her chest, not realizing all eyes on her at first. "What?" She eyed all of them, seeing all the guys with wide eyes, if not blushing. "I didn't have time to change, now can we please focus on the task at hand? What do you want me to do?"

That brought Shiro's brain back to the present. "You're staying with Allura and Coran, help with defending the castle. The rest of you get to your lions. Remember, work as a team."

Before Rae could protest, all the Paladins rushed to their lions' hangers. Rae watched as the lions flew into space, attacking the ships that came into view.

Shiro lead the others through the maze of Galra ships, each of the five taking out as many ships as they could, only to find more coming. "There's too many!"

Rae was helping Coran blast some of the ships down, but even that wasn't enough. "You need to form Voltron," Allura commanded. "Our defenses wont hold much longer!"

The Paladins nodded, syncing their minds and forming the giant defender of the universe. With sword in hand, Voltron took out the fleet of ships in one swipe. "Yeah!" They all shouted as they disassembled and went to return to the castle.

Unfortunately, the battle was not over. A blast hit the red lion just before entering the hangar, and a new fleet appeared, weapons firing at the lions and the castle. With the help of blue, Lance was able to get Keith away before another blast hit him. Keith groaned, still feeling the backlash from the first blast.

Rae watched in horror at the numbers of ships that appeared, being much larger than the fleet before. Zarkon must've really wanted to kick them while they were down, and he was succeeding because the lions were barely dodging hits and the castle's defenses were holding on by a thread.

Shiro hastily averted all he could, but even he was getting tossed around. "We need Voltron again!"

"Is it safe to form so soon? We just formed Voltron a minute ago," Pidge hollered just before getting swatted down by a fighter jet. Luckily, she regained control of her lion and got to the others.

Rae could see no good outcome. The Paladins were barely surviving out there, and she could hear all of them screaming and grunting, taking the hits but getting serious backlash.   
Most ships targeted the red lion, which made Rae's blood boil. Keith wasn't doing so good, and sounded in pain.

A message appeared on the main screen of the castle, and on the monitors in the lions, followed by a live video. On the screens, General Troxas stood in full uniform, preparing his victory. "Princess of Altea, and Paladins of Voltron, I am General Troxas of the Galra Empire. As you can see my ships are heavily equipped with the lasted weapons as well as the ion cannons. If you are wise, you will surrender yourselves and your lions. We can assure you a lovely cell." He grinned and his gargantuan ears twitched in amusement. "Or you can try to fight and we'll take your lions by force. By doing that of course, you ensure your own death, which we will take great pleasure in."

In response to his threat, the team formed Voltron once again. Troxas frowned, then waved his hand. "No matter, taking you down will be much easier now. My soldiers know how to scrap metal." Both ion cannons moved, targeting the giant robot.

Rae's eyes widened, knowing the team would not survive that. She pushed Coran aside, frantically hitting buttons until her face was visible on screen next to the general's. Troxas was taken back for a moment, not quite realizing the girl on screen. "General," she spat, making her disliking of him clear as glass. "You very well know my name. I am aboard the Altean ship and I will not allow you to attack and steal the lions. If you want to get them, you have to go through me first!" Her voice became rough and full of anger. Her eye color changed to a bright purple, making the Alteans nervous, along with the Paladins.

Troxas' grins became wider, more sinister. "And what makes you think you can beat me?"

"Because you just threatened my brother." Everyone's heads snapped toward the screen, making sure they heard her correctly. They were all confused.

Troxas furrowed his brow. "You heard me," Rae continued, letting her fury radiate off of her. "You know, just like all the other Generals and Admirals, that threatening my family is a big no no. Well, my brother, the red Paladin is out there and you just threatened to kill him and take his lion. I'll remind you again, Troxas, my name is Rae Kogane, and now you will feel my wrath!" The video cut off with a seething Rae staring into the screen.

Keith was speechless. Did he just hear her right? He must have because none of the others were talking either. Everyone was silent, taking in this information.

The shocking news was cut off by the sound of the cannons reaching full change. They were ready to fire and Voltron was in no condition to move or take the hit. "We need a plan!" Pidge hollered.

"I know we're weakened, but we can't give up!" Shiro's voice rang. He was not about to lose the lives of four teenagers along with his own. He was responsible for their safety. "We're going to take out those cannons. Lance, Hunk, prepare to move. Keith, form sword!"

A tick passed. Two. Three ticks. Nothing. "Keith!" Shiro shouted, putting all urgency into his voice, but to no avail. The Red Paladin was frozen, still stunned by the news. He had a sister, or so she claims. Regardless, it all made sense. Her impulsive actions, her motherly behavior toward him, her constant worry over him. He still couldn't move, though, even with the other four screaming at the top of their lungs. The cannons were sparking with energy, about to fire when movement caught his eye.

A body was flying out in front of Voltron. The white armor made him think it was Allura, until he saw not pink, but purple. Rae, he thought, still dazed, but moving more now out of panic. She was between Voltron and the ion cannons with no weapon of any sort. Nothing to protect herself. Her eyes found Keith and she stared sadly at him. She could sense his fear, his confusion, the whole mix of emotions.

Then she did something rare. She smiled. Not the crooked grin she gives in battle, or the victorious smile, but a true, genuine wide smile. One that said everything was going to be okay. It then shifted into a wicked grin as she faced the Galra armada. "Hit me with your best shot," she screamed as she floated, her arms and legs stretched out as if she was trying to shield the giant robot behind her.

"Wait, Rae, don't!" Keith's panic led him to reach for the controls. He was the fastest lion, he could get her to safety. His actions were cut off by a bright flash and two rays of energy shooting toward them, toward her! "No!" His heart stopped. Not only was he kicked back along with the rest of Voltron, but he could see her silhouette dissolve in the blast. She was gone. There was no way she could survive that. This wasn't like Cryskos, she didn't have time to jump out of the way, and even if she did, she wouldn't have. She took the blast for Voltron, saving them yet again.

The light faded and Keith was pretty sure the gasps could be heard throughout the quadrant. In Rae's place was a woman completely coated in the same light as the cannons, the same color as Shiro's weaponized arm. Quintessence.

It was beautiful, but in a scary kind of way. Waves of the energy were coursing through her, occasionally forming bolts of light across her skin. Her eyes shined brightly with anger and her lips formed into a snarl. "That was the best you've got?" He almost flinched at the sound of her voice. It was scratchy and deeper, sounding more like a demon than the angel Shiro described.

Ships were already trying to leave, but Rae swiped her hand in front of her and the ships turned back around, forced to stay in place. The five Paladins stared in awe, unable to process what was in front of them. She was controlling the ships. She even pushed Voltron back with a sudden swipe of her hand. Shiro's arm started glowing, and he could only guess it was reacting to the quintessence surging through her.

Rae's skin brightened, reacting like a pulse, and an aura outlined her body, only to grow larger and larger, until the aura became twice the size of Voltron. Shiro's jaw dropped, just like everyone else's. Inside the giant woman was Rae, still glowing with energy. Shiro had a ton of questions, but that would have to wait.

The Galra shot another blast from the cannons and Rae reacted as if it was a pesky fly, stopping it with her hand, then shooting it back at the ship. Not only did the blast blow up that ship, but the few around it exploded as well. General Troxas realized his mistake too late, as he tried to be daring and capture Voltron for his Emperor. His plan was perfect until the Cosmic Woman came out. Now, they were sitting ducks.

Rae reached out and grabbed his ship. Through the coms, her voice poured out with the rage and fury of a bloodthirsty Galra. "If I see your face again, Troxas, I will not hesitate to put an end to you. This is your warning. Now, scram!" She reared back and chucked the ship like it was a baseball. Then her sight turned to the other ships, with pilots too scared to budge. She clapped her hands together, created a wave that sent the ships back. That shook them out of their stillness and the ships took off.

A moment of silence took place as everyone stared at her in shock. Allura and Coran couldn't do anything but watch, trying to deduce how this could be. Rae's light dimmed and the aura shrunk down to normal size and the quintessence faded, leaving her unconscious, floating in place. The lions split, with Shiro moving to retrieve her.

Keith was urged by the others to go back to the castle with them, his head spinning with questions. The moment he got out of his lion, his feet wouldn't stop moving as he paced from one side of the room to the other, ignoring the order's attempts to stop him. He needed answers. The sound of Black landing finally made his stop, even if his foot was still tapping. Shiro came out of the lion, Rae still unconscious in his arms. She was breathing thankfully, and didn't seem to have any sort of damage done to her. As Allura and Coran rushed into the room, he set her on the floor, and they all circled around her, waiting.

Twenty doboshes passed before her eyes fluttered open. She was groggy, but immediately noticed the bodies staring down at her. Her memory of the event coming back to her as she sat up, accepting Shiro's hand to stand. He looked at her before turning his gaze behind her. Her breath hitched slightly as she now had to face the truth, and turned carefully to face her brother. She already knew he wouldn't believe her, so she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward her room.

"Hey, wait, I have too many questions!" Keith tried to pull away, but her grip was solid like a rock. "You can't just ignore what happened...what you said!" His voice cracked, making Rae stop in the doorway. She knew this was hard for him, but he had to learn the truth.

Stepping toward her bed, she pulled out two pieces of paper and a picture from under her pillow, holding them delicately toward her chest. "I know you don't believe me, but I have proof." She hands him the parchments and his eyes skimmed over what were two birth certificates. One had his name, date of birth, etc. The other he read carefully, which was hard because his hand was shaking. Rae Tallulah Kogane. He had to keep from laughing at her middle name, but his eyes read over the name, as well as his parents' names before looking up at her in shock. He had a sister. She was here, right in front of him, she's saved his life time and time again.

"I...I..." he almost couldn't form the words. "I don't believe it. I have a sister. But...how? I-I don't remember having a sister."

She smiled softly and handed him the picture. It was him, maybe seven or eight, his dad, and a girl with tan skin, brown hair, and eyes that matched his. Even though she looked different, he could recognize her easily. "Your memories were wiped when they took me," she spoke softly, with a twinge of sadness. "Dad's too. You were nine and I had to protect you from them. I tried to get back to you sooner, but my attempts failed. Now I have you right in front of me and you're all grown up." Her voice cracked as tears filled her eyes. "I missed so much, but now you're a Paladin and I'm so proud of you, Keith."

Hearing her say she was proud of him and seeing her start crying made him tear up. She kept rambling on, but he stopped listening, instead he reached out and hugged her so tightly, letting all emotions he had bottled up pour out in tears as he clutched onto her. She was startled, but hugged him back just as tight. They were both a mess of tears and happiness. Rae had finally found her brother, and Keith realized he had more family than he could've dreamed of.

Though it was a private moment, the others couldn't help but peek in the open doorway and watch the family reunion. Pidge felt a weight around her heart, happy for Rae, but hoping she can find Matt and hug him as tightly as those two were now. Shiro was smiling widely, happy for both of them, and he noticed Lance was smiling just as widely. Hunk was behind them all trying not to cry too loudly and ruin the moment.

A minute later, Rae broke from the hug and caressed Keith's face gently. "There is so much you've forgotten. But I promise I'll fill you in on all you've forgotten, and in return, you'll fill me in on all I've missed out on."

Keith spat out a laugh, still trying to dry his tears. "Deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Like I said, I know I was a day late to post, but here it is! Looking back on this chapter reminded me of when I wrote it months ago. I had a bit of a rough patch with my personal life, so writing was tricky. Anyway, I do hoped you guys liked it, and I can't wait to post the next one! I have three more chapters pre-typed, then after that.....well let's just say I am at an impasse with my motivation. But I will get it done. That is a promise.


	8. The Past Revealed

"Wait, so why didn't you tell me sooner?" Keith's curiosity made Rae smile. He hadn't changed hardly at all.

"I was waiting for the right moment. I wanted to tell you the moment I saw you, but that would've distracted you from your mission. Same for Cryskos."

He was still baffled by the news. "I have a sister...wait, so you're three years older than me?" She nodded, a soft giggle escaping her lips. "So, how were we as siblings? Did we get along or were you a bratty sister?"

Rae stopped and glared at him, smacking the back of his head. "I was not a bratty sister, I treated you like you were my own. And you'll see exactly what I mean." She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the training room, the others following closely, trying not to laugh at Rae's actions.

As the doors opened, she placed him in the middle of the room. Coran said that he had devices to open the mind, and she wanted Keith to understand the past that was taken from him. Hopefully, it would help.

As Coran handed her the crown-like device, she placed it atop her head and sent a small shock through it to amplify its effect. In an instant, the room shifted to a different setting. Everyone gasped, not expecting to be engulfed in her memories.

The setting was a house. The walls were cream colored with a few pictures of a tall tan-skinned man with brown hair and eyes, and one of a little girl with uneven pigtails and two missing teeth, smiling brightly as a bird was perched on her finger. Keith walked around the room, gawking at how real it all looked. He was even able to pick up the picture of his sister, laughing at how she looked. "You were real proud to catch that bird, huh?"

Rae smiled at the picture. "I was indeed. I had just turned three and it just randomly landed on me, I thought it was the coolest thing."

An eruption of laughter sounded from down the hall, followed by the pounding of footstep as the tiny girl ran into the living room, twirling in her bright blue dress. She then took off back down the hall. Rae and the others followed the "little Rae" into what appeared to be a baby's room, where little Rae was on her tiptoes, with a stool under her, leaning over the crib. "Good mornin', Keef!" She smiled widely. The others looked in the crib and a collection of "awes" sounded as they gazed upon the adorableness of baby Keith.

Baby Keith smiled and squealed at the sight of his big sister. The group watched as Rae played with her brother until the tall man came behind her. "Now, Rae, what have I told you about gettin' him riled up this early in the mornin'?" His Texan accent foreign to the others' ears.

Little Rae pouted. "Sorry daddy." She stepped down from the stool and hugged the man. He hugged her back, then rubbed the fatigue from his eyes.

"I... guess you can play with him, but only for a little bit. At least until I can get breakfast ready."

The light that shined in the child's eyes at her father's sudden change of heart made the team stare in awe. They had never seen Rae like this, never thought they would. She was always so composed and held back, even when she laughed or smiled there was always a glint of something behind it. The closest she's ever come to showing a light like this was around Keith, which now made perfect sense to everyone.

Rae watched and smiled as her younger self picked the baby up out of the crib and carried him with slight difficulty to the living room to play. While everyone else was watching the two play and giggle together, Rae's attention shifted to the memory of her father. Seeing the man stop and think for a minute on what to make where his children would eat without much fuss made her smile, but it also brought sadness to her heart. The man before her has no memory that she even exists. It broke her heart.

She wasn't the only one watching him. Keith stood next to her, the same sad look on his face. "I miss him."

"I do, too," Rae replied as she wrapped one arm around her brother and pulled him into a small hug. It was probably awkward for him, but she didn't know what else to do. His mind must be reeling with questions, yet he does not speak, she thought to herself. "Maybe we can find him after all of this is over. I sure would like to see him again. It's been so long."

He nods and steals one more glance at his dad before the scenery changes and instead of a house, the group stood on fresh green grass, facing a playground.

It shocked everybody to feel the summer breeze and see bright blue skies with the fluffiest white clouds. The scenery resembled a painting with how gorgeous is was, and it took the Paladins a moment to grasp why they were here. It was another one of Rae's memories and apparently one she remembered a little too well as she turned as white as the clouds.

There on the playground was little Rae, a few years older, but still as cheerful and cheeky as possible swinging on the swing set. She leaped off, landing on the mulch with the grace of a ballerina before running toward the monkey bars and scaling them like it was nothing. She was almost as agile as the Rae now is, which Shiro found made sense as she had to have learned it from somewhere. He watched the girl carefully, hoping to understand why Rae didn't like this memory. All she was doing was running around and playing by herself. That is until she accidentally stumbled into three boys at least two years older than her.

She quickly apologized for bumping into them, but they were not so kind. "Watch where you're going, freak!" the blonde one shrieked as the dark-haired boy to his right shoved her into the dirt, ruining the pretty green sundress she wore.

"I..." she began quietly, not wanting to anger them further. "I said I was sorry." Tears brimmed her eyes though she didn't dare let them shed.

"You will be," said the little redhead who look an awful lot like Ron Weasley. He walked over and picked up a rubber ball, chucking it at the little girl's head.

A small "ouch" escaped her lips as she rubbed the spot of contact. This only made the boys grin and pick up anything they could find, throwing the objects at the girl. Little Rae couldn't move, so instead she curled into a ball, her forehead touching the ground as she prayed for the torment to stop.

The group stood and watched in horror, finally understanding why this memory was so tough for Rae to go through again.

As soon as the boys stopped and walked away, Rae ran the opposite direction finally letting the tears flow. The gang followed her back to her house where she barged through the door and ran up the stairs before her father could ask her what was wrong.

"Yeah," Rae started, rocking on her heels. "I was bullied a lot. I didn't fit in anywhere but at home, and I never liked letting dad or Keith see me cry."

"Well, I must've been really curious," Keith replied, pointing over to his younger self watching his big sister cry into her pillow through the crack of the door. A look of anger flashed across the kid's face, but to the Paladins it was too adorable to take seriously.

Rae frowned. "It still kills me that he saw me like that. He only knew me as his strong, loving big sis up until that moment."

Keith turned his head, a wide grin spread across his face. "Yeah, now all I see if a huge dork who is more impulsive than I am." In response, Rae stuck her tongue out at him, then punched him in the arm. He rubbed the spot, almost surprised that it hurt.

The setting changed once again, back to the park, but time had passed. Little Rae was doing cartwheels in the grass, but kept looking over her shoulder once she was right side up. Little Keith was on the swing set, begging his sister to push him as high as the other kids. She smiled in return and ran over to push him, only to be intercepted by the same three boys from before. Her smile vanished, and she tried to get past them. The boy on the far right grabbed her by her arm and shoved her to the ground.

Before any of them could speak or even laugh at her, little Keith shot out of the seat, stormed over to the boys and started yelling "Don't touch my sister!" The boys were stunned for a second before the biggest one stepped forward and punched the kid square in the nose, sending him to the ground in tears.

"You know," Rae began as an evil smirk appeared. "My dad told me that bullies were just people who messed with the ones that were actually stronger than themselves. They take pleasure in making their victims feel weak and useless, and the only way to stop them is to show them your strength. Let's just say I took his advice." Little Rae shook herself out of shock at the sight of her baby brother's bloody nose and got up. A glint of hatred crossed the little girl's face as she planted her feet and swung her fist with all her might at the boy, knocking his two front teeth out. "That's for hitting my brother!" The one on the right acted and punched her in the jaw, only to be surprised that she barely flinched and instead reared her foot back and brought it up between the boy's legs. Shiro flinched at the girl's ruthless action but overall was impressed. She fought with all the fury that her older self did.

The three boys, after begging for forgiveness, ran off in tears. Rae turned and kneeled in front of her brother, tearing off a piece of her shirt and stuffing it up his nose to stop the bleeding. "You were really brave, but you shouldn't have done that. You could have gotten worse than a bloody nose." She carefully wiped his tears and helped him stand.

"Sorry..." he hung his head and averted his eyes from her concerning expression. "I just wanted to protect you. You cried because of them and I wanted them to pay for making you sad."

"Oh, Keith," she pulls him into a hug. "That's probably the sweetest thing I've ever heard. You're my little knight. You'll always there for me, and I will always be right by your side to keep you from harm."

Little Keith frowns. "No, the princess isn't supposed to protect the knight, the knight is supposed to protect the princess!" He pushed himself away from her only to dust himself off before standing as straight and tall as a guard. "I am your knight, and no one will harm my princess."

Little Rae giggled. "But then what job does my prince have? I cannot become a queen someday without a dashing prince by my side."

"You don't need a prince. Boys are stupid." Keith looked almost jealous of the idea of Rae having a "prince".

She laughed and pat his head. "You and daddy are boys, you know. However, you two are smart and all I need. Other boys are stupid." She stood and wiped off her dress, then planting her feet into the ground while pride flashed in her eyes. "I will be the best queen there is, and I'll do so without any boy but my trusty knight by my side! All hail the queen!"

"All hail the queen!" Little Keith replied. The two kids then ran from the playground, laughing all the way home.

Lance started laughing. "Oh, this is too rich! Such a little cutie, weren't you Keith?" Keith blushed from embarrassment and went to punch Lance, but Hunk plucked him away.

"Lance, stop being mean. Keith, we talked about the punching thing. It won't help anyone."

Rae just shook her head. "That's his go-to move for any situation. He used to be more aggressive in one particular situation." She grinned almost wickedly at her brother, who looked ready to beat her, too. She laughed as the subtle tease once again made his cheeks pink and he finally looked away from the others.

The light mood suddenly darkened as the scene changed once again. This time everyone seemed cautious. Even Rae didn't know what was going on, until she saw little Rae pull her brother down the hallway, fear written all over her face. Just as the front door was kicked open, Rae ripped the device off her head and threw it on the ground, cutting off the memory.

"What was that?" Keith was confused. Who was she running from? And why did she look so scared? Could it be that that was the memory of her capture? Dozens of questions swam in his brain, but he knew by the look on her face, Rae wouldn't answer.

"Not everything is meant to be seen," she replied, then turned and quickly left the room before anyone could stop her. It was one of the most traumatic memories of her life, she didn't want Keith or any of the others to witness it. She also didn't want to watch the day her life practically ended again. It was too much, even for her.

Her bed called to her and she could not refuse its warmth and comfort. She made her way to her quarters, changed into a simple purple nightgown, and crawled into bed. After engulfing herself in her blanket, she closed her eyes, but sleep did not repel the darkness.

She was in her house, her back pressed against the wall to conceal herself in the shadows. The sun was just started to set, which gave her a perfect hiding spot from the monsters. Keith was in her sight, hidden under the table, cloaked by the cloth that draped almost to the floor. He peeked his head out to whisper something, but she snapped at him to be quiet. There were monsters in her house and she would die before letting them get their hands on her little brother. Clutching her bow tightly, an arrow already notched, she waited.

Footsteps grew louder as the giant purple beings got closer, sniffing the air to try and find them, but due to the numerous open windows, it was tough for them to catch the scent of their prey. Rae was thankful it was cleaning day, otherwise they would have been sitting ducks. By the sound of it, there were four of them. That was four creatures too many, Rae wasn't sure if she could fight them all off, but she had to try.

Her heart stopped once two of the creatures snarled and turned, walking into the room she and her brother occupied. She tried her best to not shake in fear at seeing the large purple beasts up close. The more she looked at them, the more she noticed that they looked like her, or at least the one side of her. Her father always told her she was different, that part of her DNA didn't come from this world, so maybe she shared it with these creatures. Maybe that's why they were here, to retrieve her. She always joked that she was a princess, but maybe it was real, and these were royal guards, here to escort her to her throne. Even she rolled her eyes at her ridiculous hypothesis. There was no way that could be true.

Her mental beat down on herself was paused when she noticed the beasts were walking toward the table.

Keith.

One of the creatures started to raise up the tablecloth, but Rae was quick to act. She pulled back on the bowstring and aimed, letting the arrow fly right through the creature's hand while it dug into the wood of the table. "Run!" She shot another arrow at the other beast, who caught it before it could embed in his shoulder.

Bolting out of the room, she made sure her brother was at her side as she tried to keep the monsters back. Her arrows ran out quickly; luckily, she had a backup. As the beast with the largest ears came toward her, she whipped out a small hunting knife her dad told her to use in case of emergencies and swiped it upright, slashing the creature's eye. He howled in pain and shoved her with more might than a bull, or so it felt, sending her through the wall and into the backyard. Keith ran after her, checking to make sure she was okay before grabbing the knife out of her hand and holding it out to distance the monsters.

The four creatures cornered them. One stood before the others, smaller with a feminine figure. She kept a mask on, shielding her face from the children. Pulling out a gun, she aimed it at Keith first. Rae moved to get in front of him, but the one with the missing eye held her back. "Let me go! Don't you dare touch him!"

The lady pulled the trigger, but instead of a bullet coming out like Rae had thought, a beam of light encased her brother, scanning him. The light turned red, and the lady shook her head before turning to Rae and doing the same scan. Rae had no idea what they were looking for, her and her brother both were different, she just could shift her appearance to look similar to these creatures. Keith thought it was the coolest thing and seemed to envy the shift, but Rae thought she was cursed by her mother.

Green light shined all around her, and the woman growled as if she was disappointed. The put the gun away. "Sendek, take her away. The witch has finally found the perfect subject." The lady spoke with such distaste that Rae cringed. Whoever she was, she didn't like Rae and it was made very clear. The one-eyed creature named Sendek scooped the child up and began to carry her off. Keith ran after Rae, kicking the beast to try and free his sister. The other two grabbed ahold of him, dragging him back to the woman. Rae started fighting Sendek's grip when the lady pulled out a syringe and drove it into her little brother's neck.

"No! Keith!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, making Sendek cringe. Unfortunately for her, he didn't loosen his grip.

"Hey!" A deeper voice shouted out. Rae followed the voice and found her father standing on the porch with a gun in his hands. The beasts snarled at him as he raised the rifle. "Get yer mitts off my kids!" He shot one in the leg, but before he could fire another shot, the woman snuck up behind him and drove another syringe into his neck.

Rae watched as her dad crumbled to the floor, mumbling curses at the woman. She ignored him and signaled for her team to follow back to their ship. Rae pounded on the creature's back, screaming and crying as her father and brother faded from her sight.

\-----------------------

Keith leaped out of bed, startled by the screams echoing the hallway. He bolted out of the room, passing Shiro as he ran toward the screams. As he turned the corner, a tan-skinned figure slammed into him, sending them both to the floor in a pile of limbs. Lance immediately apologized, backing off quickly in fear that he angered the dark-haired boy.

Keith looked at him, confused. "What are you screaming about?" He and Lance had recently become good friends, but that didn't mean that he didn't want to at least punch him for interrupting his slumber.

The fear in Lance's eyes returned. "Oh yeah. I was running from the damn Red Queen!"

A soft giggle made Lance jump behind Keith, nearly shaking like a Chihuahua. Keith followed his friend's eyes, and standing in front of them was a hologram of a girl, about ten years old, encased in a pink-purple light. She stepped closer to the boys, still smiling and giggling. Keith held his dagger out in front of him in case the child was dangerous.

"Come on," the little girl chirped. "Play with me."

"We don't want to play, little girl." Keith's eyes never left the child, and he soon realized who she was, or was meant to resemble. "Rae, it's time for you to stop."

Lance leaned closer, almost whispering in the other boy's ear. "This thing has the whole castle under its control. Pidge is fighting computer cables, and Hunk got stuck in Coran's library. Even Allura is stuck, but I couldn't help any of them. That's how it found me. I don't know what it wants."

"Where is Rae," Shiro asked as he pulled the boys further from the hologram. The thing was freaking him out, and he didn't want to end up in a trap like the others.

Keith spoke in a whisper, careful not to tip the hologram off. "I'm pretty sure she's sleeping. You don't think she's doing this, do you?"

Shiro shook his head. "Not intentionally." He looked over to Rae's door, inching toward it carefully. The hologram caught on quick, unfortunately, and sparks flew from the body. Before it could strike, Shiro grabbed the two boys from the collar of their shirts and pulled them into Rae's room. He closed the door quickly to keep the creepy hologram out, only to turn and find an equally horrifying sight.

Rae laid in bed, bolts of quintessence springing from her body, zapping a few inches from Lance's feet. Shiro was careful, but hasty as he made his way to her and shook her awake, ignoring the shocking pain of the bolts. She woke suddenly, and darkness filled the castle. In the few seconds that it took for the backup generator to kick on, the four stood in silence. Shiro didn't know where to begin. His team was in danger because of one girl with strange magic. Keith's sister or not, he was wondering if bringing her on board was a clever idea after all. He cared about her, she was sort of like family to him, but the dangers of her powers could be too big of a risk.

The look on Rae's face once the lights came back on was the only thing to change his mind. She looked scared, nearly in tears as she looked from him to Keith to Lance. Shiro knew now that it was a nightmare that triggered the hologram and all the other weird stuff. He felt bad for her, knowing all too well how the PTSD worked, and there was no telling all she's seen and went through. He could only imagine the horrors she fell victim to.

Rae looked around, noticing small singe marks on Lance and Shiro's shirts. "I took over the ship, didn't I? Oh god, I'm so sorry. I'll fix anything that was damaged." She hung her head in guilt.

"Don't worry about it," Shiro replied calmly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. He wanted to wipe the tears from her cheeks, but resisted due to the probability that Lance would call it a romantic gesture. "We'll leave you alone to try to get more sleep, but don't hesitate to come to me if your brain gets the best of you. I'm a good listener." And with that, he led the boys out of the room and retreated to his own quarters. The holes in his shirt seemed to grow bigger, so he stripped it off quickly before it caught fire. Just as he went to grab another shirt, there was a soft knock on the door. He opened the door, temporarily forgetting about the shirt.

Rae stood there, mouth agape as she stared at his bare chest. Shiro suddenly regretted his decision; nevertheless, he remained still, not wanting to be rude.

However, she didn't speak. Instead, she reached out, grazing her fingertips along the border of his robotic arm. He thought of moving her hand away, but she reacted before he could. "I'm sorry," she spoke softly, her voice filled with kindness and concern. Her eyes looked over the many scars, examining them before scrunching up her face in disapproval.   
Then, she wrapped her arms around his torso, hugging him firmly. "I'm sorry," she repeated, this time her voice cracked, and he could feel tears against his skin. He was stunned. She didn't do things like this. It made him worry something was wrong, but for the moment, he hugged her back, hoping it would help.

"You have that arm because of me. That's why it glows whenever I'm close and use my powers. It's reacting to its source." Shiro pulled away from the hug, shocked by the dark-haired girl's words. "They had to test another human to see if I would survive the procedure, and they found you. Once the results came back from your experimentation they immediately started on me. It's my fault they took your arm."

He took a minute to process her confession. "It's okay. If I didn't have this happen, I might've never found the others and became the Black Paladin. Voltron might not have existed. It's not your fault either. You didn't tell them to chop my arm off, that was their choice." He wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled down at her. "Everything happens for a reason. It may have sucked being a prisoner, but I learned a lot from it. I'm a better man now because of it."

Rae smiled, then moved away from him, blushing softly. "Right, of course. Sorry..." She turned quickly and took off down the hall. Shiro stood confused for a moment, then shut his door and crawled into bed without another thought.

The next quintant consisted of cleaning and repairing the damage done to the castle. Surprisingly, most of the mess came from the paladins trying to get out of their confined areas. Shiro helped as much as he could, but Rae seemed to have everything taken care of. With a few swipes of her hand, she had the whole castle sparkling. Allura took a look around and was amazed by how clean everything was. "And I boosted the system, so everything will run much faster and stronger," Rae added with much glee. It wasn't often that she smiled, but she seemed proud of herself.

"I must say I'm impressed. Well done." Allura and Coran took their positions and the castle took off. The others also sat, gazing at their screens.

Pidge typed away at her keyboard, pulling up a picture of a strange-looking building. "While everyone else was asleep, I stayed up and was looking over more places for us to go, places with prisoners and I came across this. It appears to be a prison, much bigger than Beta Traz. I can't tell how many people are in there, but if we're trying to save those held captive by the Galra, then I say it's worth a search."

Everyone's eyes went to Shiro, awaiting orders. Shiro stood tall, not hesitating to answer. "I agree. Allura, Coran, get us to that prison. We'll scan it from a distance for entry points, then go from there." Allura nodded and the team prepared for the jump. No one was sure of what this prison held, but Rae had a feeling that it wasn't going to be an uneventful mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter proved difficult for many reasons. Figuring out Rae's past and how to present her father took a lot of trial and error. One thing to keep in mind is that the visions Rae showed the others have a bit more to them than she led on. But I won't go into that too much. Once again, thank you all for reading along, it means a lot to me. And for any Resident Evil fans, I do hope you enjoyed my little reference. I wanted to add a little bit of gamer flare to the story. Anyway, thanks again! I'll be posting a very exciting chapter next week involving a very anticipated character, so keep following along! Until next week!


	9. Reunion

The jump, along with the analysis of the prison was the easy part. The tricky part was actually getting into the place. According to Pidge and Hunk, the walls were fifty inches thick, made purely from an unknown alien metal. While the two bickered on what way of entry would be better, Rae snagged one of Pidge's camouflage devices and used a castle glider to scope out the place more without being spotted by the guards.

As Rae took a closer look, she found three entrances. Two were heavily guarded, but the third was empty. "Guys, I found a way in, but I don't know how much longer this gate will stay unguarded," she informed through the coms. Something about this gate made her wonder why it was empty, but she couldn't dwell on those questions now. She had to get the others inside to save the prisoners.

"Copy that," Pidge replied. "Were on our way." There was no question about how she got past them and found the entrance, and Rae was thankful. She hated having to explain herself, especially in a press for time situation. She waited for them, deciding to do a heat scan to determine the body count to pass the time. Her eyes widened when a lot of heat signatures were popping up. Before she could advance toward the gate, the lions came into view.

Rae led them in, checking the area to make sure the coast was clear before signaling the others out of their lions, weapons at the ready. The halls had little activity. This made Rae nervous, but she forced herself to stay focused. She had to be ready in case this was a trap.

Footsteps caught her attention as one of the guards was making his way toward the unguarded gate. Rae acted before the others could blink, tackling the guard, slamming his head into the ground until he fell unconscious. The boys just stared at her, and Hunk had taken a step back, fearing her more than usual when she gets into fight mode. "There are over a hundred people in this facility. I don't know if we can fit them all in the lions."

"What if we take a few at a time, load them onto the ship, then come back for the next bunch," Lance questioned.

Shiro shook his head. "If we do that, the guards will notice us sooner and attack. We'll figure something out, but for now we need to find a way to get around this place unnoticed."  
Rae's eyes shifted back to the guard she knocked out and an idea sparked. "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." She moved the guard to be able to get his uniform off, struggling only a little when trying to take off his helmet since she dented it into his skull. An accident of course, she didn't realize she used so much strength to knock him out. Once the whole uniform was off, she shifted to her Galra form and slipped the suit on. "Now we don't have a lot of time." She found a few sacks laying near the entrance and tossed them to the others. "Put these on. They'll hide your suits and faces."

Lance looked at the sack, then raised his eyebrow. "Why do we have to wear these? You can just say you caught the paladins of Voltron, and that way I don't have to hide my pretty face."

The others groaned. "Because if we are caught as the paladins, one of these guards will contact Zarkon, and then everyone will be in danger," Keith snapped.

"Keith's right," said Shiro. "Even if the prisoners weren't harmed, we'd still be at risk because of the lions. Not to mention, we kind of stole one of his prisoners." His eyes fell on Rae, who was staring at the floor. She seemed uncomfortable being in the armor, but there was something else on her mind. He would ask her about it later, but right now they had to act fast.

The paladins wore the sacks almost like cloaks and scuffled in front of Rae, trying to act like prisoners. Rae had also taken the guard's weapon, carrying it close to her in case the other guards didn't buy the disguises.

They almost made it to the first set of prison cells when they were stopped by a guard twice Rae's size. "Halt!" The guard raised his hand and stepped to examine the group. "I need your credentials and the prisoners are to be carefully examined before entering the prison. If you think you can just waltz right in without revealing any sort of information, you are mistaken." The Galra had managed to kneel to Rae's height and get in her face to make his point clear.

Rae did not budge, except to raise her hand and push the guard back. "If you want my credentials, perhaps you shouldn't get in my face before I even have the chance to fetch them." She reaches into the pocket of the suit, pulling out a black device the size of a wallet and tosses it to him. "Also, when was the last time you took care of your hygiene? Your smell disgusts me as much as these prisoners. They're horribly disfigured, and I'm afraid one of them has a prosthetic arm. Quite sad to look at if you ask me. I found them in the next quadrant, on planet Jubas. These were the only survivors after we destroyed it. They went through examination on my ship before we arrived." She snags back the device and pulls up their prison identifications, showing it to the man. He could only gape at all she told him. Shiro was impressed with how quickly she was able to make up such a story on the fly like that. "Now, are you going to let us in? Or do I have to wait and give these monstrosities a chance to rebel and attack us both?"

The guard stood there for a moment. "I-I..."

Rae, who was now irritated, walked over to Shiro and reached under the sack to detach his metal arm. Shiro wanted to protest, but Rae shot him a look to keep quiet. She then walked back to the man, standing high and mighty in front of him before smacking him across the face with the prosthetic. "I will ask you again. Do we have clearance? If you continue to stand there like a buffoon, I can happily contact our Emperor and have him come here so you can explain to him why you chose to let five prisoners stand here long enough to form a plan of attack and possibly lead a prison break!"

The guard was stunned by the hit, but he backed off and walked toward a large set of doors, placing his hand on the panel. The doors opened, and he hung his head. "You are clear for entry. Forgive me for my actions."

Rae sighed. "Just learn your place, and take a bath. Your scent is almost as unappealing as the sight of you." She waved her hand and he rushed off, obeying her orders.

They walked through the empty corridor that led to the prison cells. "Why did he run off so fast? Isn't he supposed to stay guarding that door?" Pidge wanted to ask why Rae was so rude to the guy, but she held her tongue.

Rae grinned. "The credentials I showed him stated that I outranked him and everyone else in this place, and it was by Zarkon's command that I came here with you five instead of killing you all on Jubas. Most of Zarkon's closest admirals are very cruel and harsh, so I had to play the part." She walks forward and reattached Shiro's arm. "Sorry about that. I needed him to act fast and I figured using my weapon would raise alarm." She smiled, then led them into the holding area, where at least forty pairs of eyes locked onto them.

All the prisoners looked beaten and tired. Some were even crying out of lost hope. It took all of Rae's energy not to go and comfort them all. Shiro and Keith were mortified, and Hunk and Pidge almost cried because it was so sad to see so many people locked away for no other reason than they tried to fight for their freedom.

One of the prisoners, a bone thin blue-skinned lady with a baby in hand reached past the rusty bars and grabbed Lance's sack. "Please," she croaked, sounding like she hadn't had a drink of water in months. "Please help us. My baby...he's ill. Please." She cried, but no tears fell. Lance felt so bad, he took the woman's shriveled hand and moved his disguise just enough for her to see the Voltron insignia. The lady started to shout out with glee, but Lance put a finger to his lips, silencing her.

"Stay quiet, be patient, and never give up hope," he whispered to her before looking back to Rae with pleading eyes. Rae looked around, not seeing any guards or cameras, then took off her helmet and stepped near the woman.

The lady started to cower, but Rae shook her head. "You don't need to fear me, I'm with them. I'm here to fight for you." She reached her hand out to touch the baby. The mother hesitated, but after seeing the blue paladin nod in approval of the half-Galra girl, she scooted forward and held the baby out for Rae to touch. Rae gently grazed her hand across the baby's cheek, then pressed her knuckles against his forehead. "He's warm to the touch. I can prevent him from getting any sicker, but we have to get you all out of here, so he can get real medicine." Her index finger glowed, and she drew a squiggle on the baby's forehead. The light faded into the child's skin and he looked ten times better.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" A male voice boomed, making Rae and the others snap there heads back to the hall. Four guards stood with guns aimed at them. Rae stood carefully, and made her way in front of the paladins.

"Do you realize how cruel it is for you to leave these people without food or water? And this one is holding a child! How dare you not at least tend to basic needs if you wanted these people alive!" Her fists were shaking as she thought of how she was treated, knowing exactly how these prisoners felt. Their craving for water, the agony of their bruises being hit over and over, as well as the cuts on their skin getting infected and having no way to stop the pain. The loss of hope because everything feels so dark, no one expects to see the light again.

"These people.... I know what they feel because it's what I had to go through when I wasn't being a guinea pig. I will not let you continue to hurt these people." She shifts back to human form and tears the guard armor off. The others remove their sacks, weapons at the ready. "These innocent people have been thrown into the darkness long enough. They shall no longer be shackled away from the world. From now on they will be free, and they will live again. No more fear, no more pain. Where you give them that, we give them hope. We will usher them into the light and bring back their spirit! No one is going to stand in our way. Try, and we will make sure you regret it!"

The prisoners shouted at the top of their lungs, cheering as they now have hope to cling onto. Voltron was their savior, and Rae was not going to let them down. One guard stepped before the others and aimed his blaster at Rae's head. "Kill them all."

The other guards pointed their guns either at the paladins or the prisoners, they didn't care at this point who died first. This caused Rae's blood to boil, her hands now sparking with the energy the Galra gave her. Before the four guards could even realize who they were dealing with, Rae created a whip with her powers and struck them all down in one slash. "How many levels does this place have?"

Pidge quickly pulled up the scan of the prison. "Five levels, all with at least four sections. We'd need a master key to the place because I don't think I can hack that many doors without something interfering with my systems!"

"Way ahead of you. Hunk, stay here with the prisoners and wait for my signal to opens the cell doors. We still have to find a way to transport them all out of here." Rae took off down the hall with four paladins hot on her tail. She made her way to the guards' barracks, smiting down anyone who dares cross her path.

"What are we doing here?" Keith shouted, clearly confused.

"We need the master key." She entered the showers, where the Head Guard was scrubbing himself. Pidge was forced to stay outside, while the three boys hesitated to enter, surprised when the girl stepped right up and tapped the man's shoulder. "Hi," she said sweetly as she pulled out one of her knives. "Hate to trouble you, but I need this." In one swift motion, she chopped his right hand clean off. The boys stared in horror as the Galra three times her size now was screaming in agony, falling to the floor. "Maybe that'll teach you to take care of your pets."

The four paladins could only stare at her as she walked out of the showers and was practically skipping down the hall. "Uh..." Shiro was almost too afraid to ask. "Why did you do that?"

Rae never looked back at them. "His hand was the master key, and there was no way to convince him to come with us and open every door to his prison. Duh."

Lance leaned closer to Keith and whispered. "Your sister is truly terrifying."

Keith could only nod. Sure, he thought it was kind of badass, but he too was horrified by his older sister's actions.

They reached the next section and opened the door, checking on the prisoners. Two were missing eyes, and ten had some sort of prosthetic part. "Wait, guys stop!" Pidge demanded, looking at her map of the prison.

"What's wrong? Do we have a lot of guards coming up?"

"No, most are on the ground level," Pidge answered, her brow creasing as she looked at the map closely. "Someone's down there freeing the prisoners."

"What?" Rae and the others leaned over Pidge to look at what she was seeing. The heat signatures were definitely moving, and there was one body ahead of everyone else. "We need to get down there. Keith, stay up here." She tosses him the hand. "Open all the doors to this section and be on guard." Keith nodded, and the others set off to the fifth level.

As they headed down the stairs, Rae couldn't help but be impressed. One person was freeing all the prisoners, and was starting from the ground up. She wanted to punch herself from not thinking the same way, but in her defense, the whole mission was spur of the moment, and they didn't have a clear map of the place until they were already inside.

Upon arriving at the fifth level, they could see guards rushing toward the screaming prisoners, trying to contain them again. Pidge, Lance, and Shiro went ahead to find just who was freeing everyone. As they made their way down the corridor, they spotted several guards already unconscious, sprawled across the floor. The prisoners on this level were stronger, full of rage. They didn't hesitate to hurt any of the guards, some even killed them out of sheer fury.

Pidge made her way toward the prisoners, planting her feet on the ground a safe distance away. "Stop!" she screeched, trying to stay calm and confident even though these people towered over her, making her feel smaller than she already was.

A man the same height as Lance stepped forward with a staff in his hand. His face was hidden behind a mask, and his body was mostly concealed by a brown cloak. He did not speak, instead raised his staff, challenging the Green Paladin. Pidge made sure to stand her ground. She could not lose to this man, and she prayed Rae's training sessions would help her now.

Holding her bayard in front of her, she managed to dodge the first strike from the staff. The man moved fast, but Pidge was nimble and kept herself alert. Both opponents seemed to be predicting the other's movement, making the fight turn rather dull. The male was getting annoyed and took one last strike, the edge of his staff colliding with the paladin's helmet. The helmet clattered to the ground, followed by a now furious Pidge turning back to face the man.

The man froze, letting his staff slip out of his hand as he fell to his knees. Pidge wasn't sure if he was surrendering or tricking her, so she kept her distance. She watched closely as his hands moved toward his mask, ready to strike if he tried to attack again. There were a few clicks before his mask fell into his hands, and Pidge found herself staring into an extremely familiar set of brown eyes. Her whole body stiffened as her own weapon fell as well. "Matt?"

Without hesitation, Matt clung to his younger sister, hugging her so tightly he was sure he could hear some of the air leave her lungs. Pidge couldn't believe it, she finally found her brother. The first thing she noticed when he pulled away from the hug was how dark his blond hair was, and how long it grew. His cloak was coated in dirt and grime, as was his hands. "God, you're filthy!"

He grimaced. "Nice to see you, too, Katie. Did you miss me so much you decided to steal my old look?" He messed with the ends of her hair, which earned him a punch to the side, followed by laughing.

Two more people walked up with armor similar to Katie's, making Matt relax. At least she's not here alone, he thought to himself. He had to do a double take for the one with the white and black armor, recognizing the man as his old friend. "Shiro?"

Shiro smiled in return. "Glad to see you're still in one piece."

"Well, mostly." Matt knocked on his left leg, which was replaced with a metal prosthetic like Shiro's arm.

At the sound of the clanking, Shiro tensed, remembering that he was the reason for the change. Shiro didn't mean to hurt him that badly, he just wanted to protect his friend from the fight so he could find his dad. Matt seemed to have read his mind, because he shook his head. "Don't beat yourself up over it. Sure, it hurt, but I was still sent to do labor. Didn't find dad of course, but I found a few other things." His smile faded for a moment, earning worried glances from the others.

He noticed their eyes on him, and quickly fixed his composure. "I'm just happy to see my little sister, even if this is the last place I want her to be since it's extremely dangerous." He glared at Katie, then at Shiro. Sure, she was strong enough to hold her own, but she was still so young. She needed to be in school, not fighting in space.

"Ugh, Matt, I'm not a kid anymore! I'm fifteen years old, and I'm a Paladin of Voltron." She stuck her tongue out at him, making him chuckle and ruffle her hair.

"Voltron, huh? So, the stories are true. We finally have a weapon that'll stop the Galra."

Lance grinned. "Yep. Now, let's get out of here before more guards find us." As if on cue, three soldiers came barreling down the hallway, shouting.

"Way to go, Lance!" Pidge hissed as she picked up her bayard, ready to fight back. Matt retrieved his staff, and the others had their weapons at the ready. Unfortunately, the soldiers never got the chance to attack, for a force like a rhino slammed into them, crushing them against the wall in a mere two seconds.

Rae shrunk back to her human size, brushing the dust off her hands. "Sorry, but you guys were taking forever, I got bored." She cracked her knuckles before facing the others, her usual crooked grin plastered to her face. Her eyes went to the blonde boy, and the air got stuck in her throat. His scent snuck into her nose, forcing the memories of the mystery boy to flood her mind. The boy's face became clear now, and she now had a name to go with him. "Matt?" Her voice was nothing more than a whisper, but at the sound of his name, he looked into her eyes.

His eyes widened at the sight in front of him. The woman was maybe an inch shorter than himself, and rather slim. Her raven colored hair was restrained by a band, but it still reached her rear, and now there were two snow white streaks that stretched the length of her hair. Her pale skin was cloaked by a white and black uniform with a purple insignia slightly different from the others, and the fabric clung to her skin, making him blush softly. His eyes came back to her stormy gray ones, seeing the pain behind their beauty, and he knew only one person could hold such emotions inside. His final confirmation resided in the crystal around her neck, one he forged himself. "Rae." A smile stretched his face at the sound of her name, bringing his so much hope and joy to say it again.

A wide, bright smile flashed before Rae ran forward, almost tackling Matt in a hug. "Matty!" She buried her face in his neck, soaking in his warmth. He gladly accepted the hug, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her off the ground, shivering slightly at the feel of her cool skin against him.

Shiro exchanged looks with Pidge, both of them clicking together that Matt was the human Rae spoke of. Seeing the look on his friend's face, he could tell just how much he cared for Rae. A smile crossed his face, and as he looked back at the green paladin, he knew she was thinking the same thing. Shiro made a mental note to pester Matt about it later.

A minute went by before the two young adults pulled away from their embrace, still very close to each other. Pidge could have sworn her brother was about to lean forward and kiss the girl, but the guards had other plans.

Dozens snuck up behind the paladins, one of which aimed his blaster and shot right between Matt and Rae's faces, shattering the tender moment. The two went from shocked to annoyed in a second as they glared at the guard. "Rude!" Rae took a step back from the boy, drawing a knife. "What do you say, Matt? Let's teach these freaks a lesson."

Matt twirled his staff with one hand before propping one end on the ground. "With pleasure."

The guards took a step back, hesitant to attack. Rae's wicked grin flashed as she leaped forward, slamming one hand into the guard who shot at them, knocking him back into the wall. Two guards charged forward, only to be stopped by Matt's staff knocking them out. Shiro, Pidge, and Lance gawked over the two and their timing and tactics. The second Matt's staff knocked out the second guard, Rae stretched out her hand and grabbed the end. She dangled at the end as he swung the staff above his head, giving the half breed enough force to slam her foot into the third guard's head. The guard was dazed a moment before collapsing, most likely seeing stars.

Pidge was surprised to see Rae leap from the edge of his staff and plant herself atop Matt's shoulders. She was even more surprised to find that having a pretty girl, or any girl for that matter, sitting on his shoulders didn't faze him one bit. Pidge remembered a time where any sort of contact from a girl left her brother a blushing, blubbering mess, yet here he was, still fighting the guards with his staff as she threw her knives at the ones who attempted to sneak up on him.

Two of the guards came together, both taking shots at Rae, who was still focused on her targets. "Watch out," Lance screeched, making the raven-haired girl turn just in time to rear back. The blasts missed by a hair; however, the sudden shift in weight threw the duo off balance. Matt dropped his staff, grabbing her legs to keep her from falling, leaving Rae to dangle against his backside, accidentally dropping her last knife in the process.

The guards surrounded them all. They managed to snag the paladins bayards, along with all of Rae's knives, and Matt's staff. "Keep your hands up where I can see them!" one guard commanded, keeping his eye on Matt. "Don't try anything either."

"Like I can really do anything," Matt piped up, glaring at the guard. "There is no way I'm dropping her just to try and pull a stunt that'll just get me locked up later. Also, who says you're in charge now? True, we took out your head guard, but I always thought Galra ranking was determined by ear size."

Rae risked taking a peek, finally seeing just how tiny his ears really were. They looked more like the cliché devil horns rather than ears. This made her laugh. "Oh my god, they're so cute!" she mentioned in between her laughing fit. "My ears are bigger than that, oh god."

"Oh, geez, you sound like her," Matt commented, looking almost nervous by the amount of laughter coming out of his friend.

The tiny-eared guard aimed his blaster at Matt's stomach. "This blast will go right through him and kill you as well. So, shut up!"

Rae's laughter ceased immediately, replaced with a low growl. She reached over, carefully feeling for Matt's small, handmade blaster. She could feel his body tense from the movement of her fingers, but she ignored it. What was important was being subtle, for one wrong move, and Matt was a goner. That was an option Rae would not allow.

Finally, her fingers laced around the handle. A triumphant grin appeared, and in a single motion, she used her muscles to hoist herself back onto Matt's shoulders properly, firing a blast that caught the guard's side. He howled in pain, and just as Rae expected, the others were quick to act. She leaped from her friend, making sure he was a safe distance before making her skin glow with the power of the quintessence.

Before the guards knew what hit them, Rae drew a circle with her finger, which formed a bigger one around the paladins, the prisoners, and Matt. Each of her fingers sparked against the mini circle, charging the bigger one. Matt had only seen this once, but he knew what was coming next. "Get down!"

Shiro practically threw himself over Lance and Pidge, while Matt curled into a ball onto the floor. The circle hit full charge, and Rae extended her fingers, causing a brigade of electricity to shoot out, targeting every guard on that level. The look of shock and pain was frozen on their faces as they all toppled over at once, paralyzed from the hit.

Matt looked up from his position, worried that he would see her still encased in the power with a blank look in her eye. Instead, she was in front of him, looking back to normal, and even holding her hand out for him. He gladly accepted, but instead of letting go, he pulled her into a tight hug. "You're okay," he said with a sigh of relief. He knew the quintessence used to be painful for her to use before.

She hugged him back, smiling. "Of course I am. I've been practicing, but I still have a lot to learn. It doesn't hurt anymore, though."

Lance cleared his throat, hating having to interrupt another cute moment. "Look, you two can finish your love fest later. Right know maybe we should, oh I don't know, get these prisoners out of here?"

Both Matt and Rae blushed, realizing they almost forgot about the whole reason they were there.

"Let's move." Shiro started to lead everyone out of the fifth level; unfortunately, the building started to quake as they reached the stairs. A few of the prisoners screamed or yelped, causing Matt to get serious once more.

"It's all right. That's just the ship that will take you all somewhere safe. Pax is right on time." He pushed to the front of the line and lead the others up to the fourth level and up, stopping at each level to unlock the gates and free more prisoners. There was no run in with any more guards, which Rae was thankful for. Her head was starting to spin after her attack, but that always happened when she used her powers. It didn't help that the floor was shaking still.

Once they reached Keith and Hunk, every prisoner was accounted for. Even the blue woman, who smiled at Rae as the baby cooed in her arms. Keith noticed Matt at the front of the group and looked honestly surprised by how he changed. He wasn't the scrawny kid anymore.

"Pax is right outside that door. He has a chamber to where you all can board and still breathe. You will be taken to Arberos and will remain there, with fresh food and water, for the duration of this war. After that, you may go where you please."

The blue-skinned woman slowly made her way to Matt, caressing his cheek. "Thank you so much," she croaked, then looked at the paladins. "All of you."

It took an hour to check everyone for any possible tracking devices (Pidge's idea), check for any and all injuries, and board them onto the ship. As the last few prisoners were boarding, the prison's alarm system went off, filling the place with an obnoxious screeching sound.

"How the heck did that just now go off?" Lance yelled above the alarm.

Rae thought for a moment, knowing all the guards were unconscious. All except one. "That sneaky little.... the Head Guard!" she shrieked. "He must've bandaged up his hand and reached the alarm system! We have to go."

Matt quickly led the last few prisoners on board, telling the last one to give Pax a message for him. Then, he rushed down the ramp, planting his feet right next to his sister's. "Alright, let's get out of here." The group was somewhat stunned but accepted that the blond-haired boy would not be leaving his sister's side. He was with them now.

They reached the lions and left quickly. Matt gawked at the craftsmanship of the lions, especially the green one, inside and out, and wanted to see exactly how it worked. Pidge would not let him, smacking his hand whenever he tried to sneak past her. "Matt, stop trying to touch my lion!"

"But it's just so cool! Come on, I want to see what it can do," he pouted.

"No, and if you keep reaching for her, she's going to get mad."

"Fine." He accepted defeat, leaning on the back of Katie's seat, already getting bored.

Rae and Shiro's faces popped up on the side of the screen. "Well someone doesn't look happy," Rae teased. "Let me guess, lil sis won't let you play with her toys?"

"Yes, and she's being mean." He tried to look upset but couldn't help but smile at Rae. He missed her so much, and it had only been a year since they were separated. Rae chuckled, making him nearly melt where he stood. Pidge looked up at her brother, noticing he was making that face again. She wondered if they were a couple, not just friends.   
With the way Rae teased him, it was definitely possible. But why not tell us? She contemplated numerous possibilities, each getting stranger than the last. She'd get the answers out of him somehow, he wasn't always the best liar.

Her thoughts were cut short when green jerked forward, having been hit by something. "What was that?!"

Hunk's face appeared next to Shiro and Rae's. "It's Galra! They must've been the ones contacted once the alarm set off!" Hunk dodged one hit, only to be struck by another. He was lucky to have the extra armor.

"We need to get these guys off our tail," Shiro instructed, enhancing thrusters on the black lion to zip around and take out a few ships.

"What we need is to ground ourselves," Rae suggested. "If we're fast enough, I know a planet we can stop at so we're out of sight."

Keith also popped up on the screens. "Where exactly are we going?"

"Just trust me," Rae replied, putting as much seriousness into her voice. "Everyone, follow the black lion! We're gonna have to be fast, so keep up." Everyone nodded, going full speed while dodging blasts from the Galra ships.

After a few minutes, the ship fell back, and the lions and their passengers were alone in space. Everyone let out a sigh now that they were out of harm's way. Rae looked out at the open void, searching.

"Where were you going to take us?" Shiro's curiosity got the best of him.

Rae smiled. "There is someone else I knew in the Galra prison. She's an amazing woman, but I do caution you. Her behavior can be a little.... erratic. She was experimented on as well, and it did a lot of damage to her brain. But other than that, she's great. She would make a great ally; her fighting skills are very.... unique"

Shiro became a little worried once he heard Rae's description of the girl she knew, but he trusted Rae's instincts. She was serious, and that meant she knew what she was talking about.

Rae's eyes locked onto what she was searching for. A blue planet with clouds, resembling a slightly darker version of Earth. "We're here!"

"Uh, yeah," Lance hesitated, not wanting to burst Rae's excitement. "Where is here?"

"Oh, right." She shook her head to contain her enthusiasm. "Paladins of Voltron..... and Matt... Welcome to Roe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another favorite! I always planned to bring Matt into the story, but this chapter came out better than anticipated. I loved writing out the action scenes, and wanted to make Rae and Matt's fight with the Galra fun and unique. I hope you all like it! Thank you for the comments, they made my day, and thank you all, I got over a hundred hits!! That is really something. I still get giddy over it! So, thank you all again, and be sure to follow along, cause the introductions don't stop there! I have handful of new people to introduce, and I'm sure you will love them. Until next week!


	10. Journey to Roe Part 1: The Ally

"Ah, yes. Roe," Matt started, not fully processing Rae's words until they moved closer to the planet. "Wait...Roe..." His eyes suddenly widened. "You have got to be kidding?!"

Everyone jumped at the sudden alarm in his voice, wondering why he sounded so upset and terrified. Shiro looked to Rae, who closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Oh, stop whining. We need the extra muscle and getting the Roens on our side will be beneficial for the war."

"No, you're just trying to kill me faster. Sorry, but I plan to live a long and happy life, so I'm just going to stay inside the giant metal lion where I know I'll be safe." He planted his rear on the floor of the lion, crossing his arms to prove he wasn't going to budge. Pidge had only seen him do this a few times when he was set in his ways. She knew there was no changing his mind.

Rae's growl echoed through the coms. "Matthew Holt, I swear if you don't exit that lion once we land, I will climb in there, grab your sorry behind, and chuck you outside before letting the others out! Alex will surely see you then, and while you're dying from her brute force, I will happily collect your skull and add it to the others!"

To Pidge's surprise, Matt cringed at the harsh tone. "So, when do we land?"

Shiro could not help but gape at Rae. To his knowledge, she was the only person to ever get him to change his mind, and it was with a stern voice that reminded Shiro of Mrs. Holt, although a little scarier. Rae's eyes shifted to him, making him look away. He focused on flying toward Roe, realizing as they got closer that it was one large island surrounded by nothing but water. The ocean shined like mercury, reflecting the sun's bright rays, and fish the size of the red lion leaped out of the water as the paladins passed by.

"Woah! Did you guys see that?" Lance was astonished to see such massive creatures popping out of the ocean. He couldn't help but laugh.

Hunk was equally astonished. "They were huge! I wonder how much they weigh?"

Rae chuckled. "They aren't the only thing that's big here." This made the others suddenly nervous. They all hoped that these people were friendly, not hostile.

They landed on the outskirts of the island, not wanting to draw too much attention to themselves right away. Rae was the first one out, making sure all the others came out behind her. Matt hesitated, poking his head out of the lion to make sure no Roens were present before stepping out of the green lion, the whole time avoiding Rae's glare. He knew she was serious about throwing him out, and didn't want to look, knowing she'd give him that victorious smirk he's seen one too many times. Instead he turned his focus onto the scenery.

Roe resembled Earth in so many ways it made his heart ache. He missed his home. The grass and clouds, the breeze, all of which matched his surroundings. It made him start missing his parents. He knew his mom was still on Earth, hopefully safe and most likely mourning over the loss of her husband and children. As for his father, he had no idea where they put him, or even if he was alive. The thought made him shiver.

A cold, yet reassuring hand gently squeezed his shoulder and he turned to stare into gray eyes full of worry. Matt never knew how, but Rae always seemed to sense when people were upset, and she was always there to comfort them. He smiled at her, placing his hand over hers. A faint purple tint coated her cheeks, almost passing for pink but he knew the difference. It was one of the many features he loved about her as it made her unique. Though why she was the one blushing, he had no idea. As for himself, he knew exactly why. "I'm okay," he assured.

Rae removed her hand quickly, smiling softly. "Had to make sure. You looked deep in thought. Plus, this place must resemble home to you, so I assumed you were thinking of Earth and your family."

"Yeah," he sighed.

She wanted to comfort him more like she used to on Cryskos, but with the others around, she suddenly felt awkward. "Come on, this way." She started to lead them to the castle, which looked just as medieval as the rest of the kingdom, when a silhouette at the top of a hill made her stop dead in her tracks. Rae had no idea if other Roens were like Alex, and even if they were she had to be careful. No one was getting crushed on her watch.

The figure was in plate mail armor, wielding nothing more than his own two fists. Even from the distance, the paladins could tell that this man was much taller than any of them, maybe even taller than Kolivan and the Galra. Out of hesitation and panic, the four younger paladins activated their bayards, readying themselves for this opponent.

"Put those away," Rae shouted, but it was already too late. The warrior leaped from the hill, barreling toward them at lightning speed, ready to clobber them into dust. The paladins were paralyzed with fear, having never seen a person that large more at such speed. Shiro's eyes widened, preparing for the light to flash before him. He had fought many large, hungry opponents but something about this one screamed bloodthirsty.

The man was nearly to them when Rae realized the others weren't about to move. She stepped ahead of them, shielding them like a mother would shield her children. In that moment, that's how she felt. They were all just kids after all. Well, except Shiro and Matt, but even still she must protect them with every fiber in her body. That was a promise she had made to herself.

He reached the group and collided with Rae's arms, which acted as a brick wall, stopping him instantly. No Galra form, no quintessence, just Rae in her natural state, fending off a being twice her size. Her muscles were flexed, strained as she was doing all she could to hold the warrior back.

Suddenly he stopped trying to push against her and stood straight, his head tilted as the most feminine voice came from the helmet.

"Kitty?"

Rae's head snaps upward to look the warrior in the eyes. "Alex?" She moves back in disbelief, still unsure of the person. At the same time, only one Roen knows that nickname, unless Alex blabbed it to everyone. If that was the case, Rae was going to kill her.

The warrior removed the bulky helmet and a crimson braid fell just past the shoulder blades.

The paladins stared in shock as the man who tried to attack them turned out to be a woman. The woman giggled as she shook the sweat out of her bangs, then her eyes locked onto Rae and she dropped the helmet, scooping up Rae in a hug and squeezed, causing many popping sounds to resonate from the dark-haired girl's back. "MY PRETTY KITTY! OH, I HAVE MISSED YOU SO!"

Rae was fighting to breathe, her face stuck against the Roen's breastplate. "Remove me from your breasts, tall creature," she yelled, which startled the tall woman and the paladins.

The red-head giggled and dropped her friend quickly, not wanting to anger her. "Sorry."

"Thank you." Rae readjusted her suit, then turned to the others. "Paladins, meet Alexandria, the greatest warrior Roe has to offer. Alex, these are the Paladins of Voltron. Oh, and Matt's here too."

Alex's eyes sparkled, hearing the name of her other best friend. Instead of Matt, she pulled up Pidge and hugged her like she was a stuffed toy. Pidge panicked and started shouting to be unhanded. Lance was afraid the Roen would crush their tech-savvy friend but could do nothing to pry her from Alex's hands.

"Um, Alex?" The Roen turned her head back to Rae. "That's not Matt. That's his little sister, Katie. Well, she goes by Pidge now."

Alex blinked, looking back at Pidge for a minute before hugging her again. "Even better! How could I have mistaken her for her brother? She's way cuter!"

Pidge made a sound of protest, trying to worm her way out of Alex's tight grasp. "Alex, honey, let the girl go," Rae said sweetly, a tone the others didn't hear often.

Alex clutched the green paladin closer to her. "But I want to keep her."

Rae's voice suddenly lost a bit of its sweetness. "Alex, no"

"But,"

"Alexandria!"

The Roen pouted, releasing the small green one from her clutch. Pidge was gasping for air but didn't seem afraid of her. Instead, she was amazed. Alex suddenly smiled, completely forgetting why she was upset. "Where's my Matty?"

Rae grinned and pointed behind Hunk, where Matt was hiding. "Traitor!" He glared at the gray-eyed girl before bracing for Alex's brute strength. Alex picked him up like a ragdoll, and now he had the same problem Rae did, not being able to breathe due to being glued to the breastplate. He flailed until she finally let him go.

"Oh, Matty, you're so handsome, just look at your beautiful hair! Ooh, and you got more muscles! I'm so proud you're not a twig anymore." Matt blushed by her comments. He knew she meant what she was saying, but he also knew the real reason she was saying it. To make him sound impressive in front of Rae.

A soft giggle escaped Rae's lips. "Al, leave Matt alone. I don't think he can turn and redder." This made Matt blush deeper, proving her wrong.

"Oh, I see," Alex sauntered toward Rae, gripping her chin and pulling up so their eyes would meet. "I'm only allowed to make you blush, is that it?" Her voice took on a seductive tone, making Rae blush enough for the purple shade to be visible to the others. Matt felt a sudden twinge of jealousy, though he knew this was a game to them. The others; however, did not know, leading to a bunch of confused looks and shock from them.

Rae giggled and flicked her nose. "Not in front of the others, they don't know."

Alex wrapped her arm around Rae's waist, pulling her closer to where their noses barely touched. "But I want them to know. You don't keep secrets like this from allies. They must know that you and I.... are best friends." Both girls burst out in laughter.

Lance let out the air he didn't realize he held in, Hunk and pidge were chuckling nervously, thankful it wasn't true, Keith looked unamused, and Shiro was still trying to figure out if they were serious or joking.

The girls turned to them, still laughing at their faces. Once the laughter subsides, Alex's attention turned to Shiro, and there was an unusual sparkle in her eyes as she approached him. "What do they call you?"

Shiro felt uncomfortable having to look up at the woman, along with the look she was giving him. "Um... I'm Shiro. It's nice to meet you." He tried to be friendly, as this was the ally Rae mentioned, and extended his hand for her to shake.

She looked at his hand for a moment but chose to ignore it. Instead, she reached out and grazed her hand across his cheek. "Shiro? More like sexy."

Alarms blared in Shiro's mind. He tensed, not sure how to take this. Maybe it was similar to what she did with Rae. A joke. Unfortunately, Alex didn't have that glint in her eye like she did now. Rather than thinking more into it, he chose to brush it aside as nothing and step away.

Alex pouted, but looked at Rae instead. "So, what brings you all here? Did Rae and Matty finally decide to come visit?"

"No, actually." Rae's face suddenly went serious. "We need your help. Voltron has a few allies, but the Galra's numbers have grown drastically in a year. What we have just isn't   
enough. I was hoping to get you and the Roens on our side, but I know that it will be hard since Keith and I are here. A lot of planets will not help knowing we're half-breeds. Not to mention we have the Blade of Marmora on our side."

"We will not fall to that." A darkness swirled inside her emerald eyes, making her look scary. "Prejudice has taken over too many minds, but I refuse to let it do the same to ours. If my people will not stand with you, I will. I always will, and you know that. It'll take some convincing, but I will get them to hear you out. Let me take Pidgey and Sexy, we'll convince them."

Rae nodded, ushering Shiro and Pidge to go with her. Pidge groaned a little due to the nickname, but she was excited to see more of Roe and its people.

Alex led the two over the hill, toward a large tent where the rest of the warriors were. A makeshift base, Shiro guessed. Why they didn't use the castle, he did not know. Maybe in case of an attack? He noticed as they got closer that Alex was getting more and more nervous. He contemplated asking why, but one look from her made him reconsider. "So, what do we have to do to get them to ally with us?"

The woman sighed. "My planet is separated by three leaders. The king, Alistair, is the leader of the guard. Our protectors. Kelix oversees the philosophers. They keep up with all things knowledgeable and are usually good with decision-making. And finally, there is Thoran. He leads the healers, tending to all injuries and illnesses. For an alliance to be formed, two out of three leaders must give their vote. Sadly, two of our leaders' hands are tied by Zarkon. I'm hoping that speaking with all of you will give them the backbone they need to fight back."

"No offense but that's a lot of hope to have," Pidge commented. "I mean I hope it works too, but the last time we had to convince people to fight, we had to basically throw out their leader."

"Let's just say it's taken a lot of convincing for any of our allies to side with us," Shiro added. "We've always run into a challenge."

Alex sighed. "You'll run into one here, too. Thoran caved out of fear, but Kelix... she has become power-hungry. She'll be the hardest to convince."

Shiro grimaced. "We can't let that stop us. Whatever we must do, we'll do it. Rae trusts you and wants you as an ally, and with seeing how fast you are, I don't blame her."

The crimson-haired girl couldn't help blushing from his words. She also admired the fact that he trusted her best friend when most probably wouldn't. As they reached the entrance of the tent, Alex's anxiety became nearly unbearable. She wasn't ready for them to learn the truth about her.

She took a deep breath and walked inside. As soon as the warriors saw her, they kneeled and bowed their heads. "Um... is this normal," Pidge questioned, feeling puny compared to the Roens around her. She also noticed that all of them were much taller than Alex, though she decided to keep that observation to herself.

An intimidating blonde man stood before the others in full armor, looking over a map of the surrounding area. His bright green eyes matched Alex's and he smiled brightly. "Ah, my dear daughter, you've returned. I take it you found what landed on our outskirts?"

Alex nodded, stepping aside to bring his attention to the paladins. "These are two of the five paladins of Voltron. They were brought here by my friends and have a proposition for you."

Shiro stepped forward, gulping down his nervousness. "Sir,"

"King," one of the guards corrected, chuckling at the tiny human's mistake.

"Right, sorry. King... wait," he looked over at Alex. "This is king Alistair? You're a princess?"

Alex hangs her head in defeat, hating that they now knew who she truly was.

"Oh...well..." He cleared his throat and focused on his task. "Your majesty, we need your help. The war is still going, and the Galra are still ruling over the universe. We need to put an end to Zarkon's reign, and with your help, we come one step closer to accomplishing our goal. We ask that you please side with us in this war."

Alistair sighed and took his seat. "I'm afraid I cannot help you."

"But father," Alex blurted out, standing right in front of the table. "We must help them! Zarkon has taken too many lives and has brought fear to almost everyone! We cannot just sit by and do nothing while these people fight for us."

"Yes, but without the others, I cannot make this decision. And with the information of the one paladin and their newest ally, there is simply nothing I can do."

Pidge could've sworn Alex's hair grew brighter as anger was evident on her face. The princess slammed her fist into the table, breaking it in two. "How can you say that?! So, what if they're Galra? I cannot speak for the one, but the other is Rae and she is the one who risked her life for me almost every day! She is the reason I am here and not still in a cell, being tortured and experimented on! When did our planet become filled with prejudice?" She was nearly in tears, shaking from anger.

To Shiro's surprise, Alistair remained calm. "Perhaps if your friend and the paladin speak with the others, they can come to an understanding. As for me, my dear one," he stood and gently caressed his daughter's cheek. "You know I will always stand by you and your word."

Alex smiled and hugged her father, then turned to prance off. Pidge and Shiro exchanged looks before following her. "Oh, if you two wouldn't mind not telling Rae I'm a princess, that would be great. I don't need her seeing me differently."

The two nodded in unison, amazed with how calm and happy she was now. "So now we just have to get Keith and Rae to talk to the two that are under Zarkon's watch," Pidge said aloud. "Great, while we're at it, why won't we just call up Zarkon himself? See if he wants to vote, too!"

Shiro shook his head. "Keith may not be the best with others, but he knows when to do the right thing. He'll come through."

"And Rae may be extremely awkward and sometimes hostile, but she's also excellent at getting people to fight. They can do it, I know they can." Alex giggled, hoping everything went smoothly. "Plus, with Rae and the red one gaining us as allies, that means I get more time with you, sexy."

Pidge did her best holding her tongue. Shiro sighed and looked at the princess. "Can you please not call me that?"

"Fine," she pouted slightly, but then quickly grinned. "I'll just think of a better nickname for you."

Shiro groaned. Before he could say another word, they had already made it back to the lions. He could see Matt and Rae talking, Matt telling her stories of his adventures with the rebels, and Lance, Hunk, and Keith contemplating on whether the two were a couple or not. Rae saw them approaching and ran to meet them. "So, what's the plan?"

"You and Keith must convince Kelix and Thoran to side with us." Alex stated, become slightly more serious. "You both are the half-breeds, so it's up to you. This trial will determine what we do. Succeed, and we shall be your allies. Fail, and I'm afraid I will be the only Roen to fight alongside you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 10 complete! Finally, I have introduced Princess Alexandria! Hopefully she is to your liking. She will play a huge part in this story, and will have good, bad, ugly, and hilarious moments to come.  
> Alexandria was a two person job, and thankfully, my friend lunarmother1103 was more than thrilled to assist in her creation. I could not have done this without her, and she is reminded of that daily. If you like Alex as much as we do, let us know!   
> This is only part one, so be ready in a week's time for part two! Until then!


	11. Journey to Roe Part 2: The Trials

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This immediately picks up where Part 1 left off, leading to the trails for the alliance with Planet Roe.

“Beg pardon?” Rae asked, trying not to freak out over Alex’s solution. “You want me and Keith, the two most socially awkward people on the team to talk to the leaders of your planet?”

Alex tilted her head. She knew how Rae was when it came to the spotlight, but she also has first-hand witnessed her start a rebellion on Cryskos. If anyone could convince her people, it was Rae. “I know you can do it. You and Red know what the stakes are, surely that is motivation enough.”

Rae and Keith both shared a look before turning back to the Roen with determination. “We’ll do our best,” Keith replied, hoping this task would be easier than he thought. He had no idea what they were about to face, but he’s been through worse. This will be easy…hopefully.

Alex smiled brightly, stepping closer to Shiro to savor the very presence of him. Shiro subtly stepped away, feeling a slight bit uneasy around the red-headed princess. She frowned as she had realized he was farther away but decided against pushing her luck. The last thing she wanted was to create discomfort for the sexy human. “We are to meet the leaders in the Justice Hall. Father’s probably already gathering everyone, so we need to get moving.”

“Yes, Your Royal Highness,” says Rae with a smirk, dramatically taking a bow. Alex’s eyes widened, proving all of the dark-haired girl’s theories correct. “You thought I wouldn’t figure it out? I’m crushed.” She faked offense. “All I had to do was remember the stuff you told me about you when we were held captive. Plus, the way you say “father” insinuates that he’s a pretty big deal, so I took a gander.”

The princess’s mouth remained agape before she grew a blush in her cheeks, looking a bit embarrassed. “You’re gonna look at me differently now, aren’t you?”

Rae scoffed. “Why the hell would I look at you differently just because you’re a princess? I actually prefer the type of princess who can look cute and still kick ass.”

This made Alex’s eyes sparkle and grin ear-to-ear. She plucked the half-Galra girl up and squeezed her tighter than before. “This is why I love you, Kitty!”

The others looked worried since Rae’s face was turning purple and this time it wasn’t her shifting. “Alex, put her down! You’re suffocating her,” Matt yelled in urgency. The last thing he wanted was Alex accidentally killing their best friend. He knew she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself, but also knew that she couldn’t always help her strength. Alex looked at Rae, bursting into a fit of giggles as she set her friend down gently.

Rae was quick to catch her breath, once again readjusting the tight suit. “Let’s get going. Don’t want to keep everyone waiting.”   

Alex perked up, flashing her brightest smile. “Right!”

She led them through the village where a few Roen civilians were making their way to the Judgement Hall. As they spotted their princess, they bowed gracefully, showing their respect. Once their eyes landed on Rae and Keith, some of them sneered or turned away. Others seemed awestruck, staring the paladin’s armor. It had been ten-thousand years since the Paladins of Voltron made their appearance, so it was understandable for civilians to have that sort of reaction.

Lance couldn’t help but glare at the Roens who looked at Keith and Rae like they were garbage. They have no idea what those two have gone through and what they will go through for the safety of the universe. It was simply unfair! Lance remembered the day Keith told them he was part Galra. He wasn’t necessarily shocked by the news. The dude couldn’t even get the Voltron chant right, and Lance had tried several times. That and he noticed Keith’s hand was able to access the controls on the doors during their stealth mission. Another clear sign was when the idiot got some of that quintessence on him. It didn’t burn his flesh like it would a normal person. Regardless, Lance made sure he was there for his teammate and friend whenever he let his thoughts get the best of him. It didn’t help that Allura disregarded him, making him feel like an outcast. It still surprised Lance that she acted that way. He saw her as a kind, considerate woman until the moment he found Keith fighting back tears because of her actions.  And when he saw it for himself, it made that beautiful image of her turn ugly. Sure, her planet and people were destroyed by Zarkon, but she had no problem with Keith until he broke the news.

As for Rae, he couldn’t say he handled it as well. Her hiding it made him skeptical, though now he understood. She was scared; and she had every right to be. From what she told them, she had been treated so poorly by the Galra. So, once the fear and irritation of being on a foreign planet surrounded by big, bad Galra dudes wore off, he did apologize for his behavior. Turns out she never thought ill of him for acting like that. She forgave him instantly and even let him fix her hair up in an intricate bun, which he had been dying to do since he met her. “Because of her ridiculously long hair,” he remembered telling Hunk.

He wished those Roens were kinder like Alex, not be so quick to judge.

Looking over at the Shiro and Hunk, he noticed they were subtly glaring as well. They were also strong protectors of Keith and had made the mistake of judging Rae too quickly, to which they regretted as well. His eyes then went to Pidge, who seemed in her own world.

Pidge was in fact in her own world. Gazing over the scenery before her, she felt like she had been teleported to medieval times. The outfits the commoners wore resembled one of the games Matt lent her, Dragon Age. Simple fabrics, maybe a patch or two from working, but they all still managed to look decent. No dirt or grime of any sort. It amazed her. She wished she looked as good, but with the scrapes across her armor from the fight with her brother, and her wicked case of helmet hair, it simply wasn’t possible. _Oh well_ , she thought before turning her attention to the princess.

Alex was a difficult person to decipher. She skipped along like she didn’t have a care in the world one minute, then the next she was staring daggers into the eyes of anyone who dared look at Rae with distaste. Then she went back to skipping. Pidge remembered hearing Rae say that Alex wasn’t all there in the head, but the girl before her was completely derailed. She only seemed to focus when it came down to Rae. Pidge would have to ask about their past at some point. Maybe then she could understand better.

Alex stopped before two giant bronze-laced, wooden doors that were at least seven times her height. Two guards stood on either side, the Crest of Roe shining proudly against their silver-plated armor. The men held their heads high, faces as expressionless as the Buckingham Palace Guard. Alex giggled at their serious expressions, then cleared her throat. “I’ve brought the two here for Judgement.”

The guards took one look at the group and step aside, angling their weapons to signal for the doors to open. A shout rings out from above, and the gargantuan doors slowly creak open, leaving only enough room for the group to pass through. Alex starts to lead them in, but the guard on the right stops her. “Princess,” his accent was barely comprehendible. To the Paladins, it almost sounded Scottish. “I’m afraid the Judgement is a formal matter. Ye can’t go in with that old thing on. You’ll have to change.”

Alex’s eyes pierced through the guard, hoping he’ll change his mind. She hated her revealing formal armor almost as much as the dresses her father makes her wear. Unfortunately, he did not waver. Alex let out a disapproving groan before hanging her head and scuffing her feet toward one of the vacant rooms in the hallway. “I’ll be back…” she sighed.

Once the door shut behind the princess, Rae’s anxiety levels started to spike. She was afraid that when Alex disappeared, the Roens would come after her. They didn’t exactly seem pleased of her arrival. _What if I say the wrong thing? What if they still don’t want to help? What if they try to hurt_ Keith?! Her hand immediately went to her necklace, turning and twisting the crystal until the leather strap nearly choked her. Her breathing was quiet but rapid, and she knew that any second now, she would collapse.

A strong, yet gentle hand grabbed hers and pried her fingers from the crystal. “Relax,” cooed Matt as his thumb grazed over her knuckles. “The worst that could happen is they say no. They won’t hurt you or Keith because then they’ll have to deal with Alex. So just keep a level head and breathe.” He demonstrated taking a deep breath in, ushering her to do the same. Rae did, feeling much more collected as she exhaled. “Thank you.” She smiled. The kind of smile that warmed his heart to the brink of melting. He could only return the soft gesture by mirroring it.

“Will the lady Rae, and the Red Paladin, please step forward?” The other guard’s voice boomed, making the Paladins jump. This man was hulky, and had a dark, braided beard that went all the way down to the bottom of his stomach. Rae sneaked a glance at her brother, then they both stepped forward without a word. The man’s copper eyes gleamed and he bent down to look the two in the eye. “You two better hide your fear. Once you go out there, you’ll be at the hands of the leaders. Thoran might take pity on your souls, but Kelix is much colder. She will not hesitate to throw you to the hundr.” Keith thought the man was giving advice, but with the deep, ominous tone, he knew now that it was a warning. He was about to ask what a hundr was, but before he could, the man grabbed his and Rae’s arms and led them through the second set of doors, into the real Judgement Hall.

Hundreds of Roens stood, their eyes glued to them as the man let go and pointed to the center. A girl roughly their height was standing in the center with a shining silver tray quivering in her hands. Keith and Rae made their way toward her slowly, not wanting to scare her more. Looking up in the crowd, he watched as the Scottish guard, who looked oddly like Coran without the mustache, ushered the rest of their group into the open area in the front. Keith wanted to run to them, but they were too high up. Everyone was too high up. It made the ground where he and Rae stood feel more like a prison cell.

Several feet above everyone else, there stood Alex, in new, form-fitting armor that resembled more of a Greek style, along with three other people. _The leaders,_ Keith thought. The one on the right had blond hair and green eyes that matched Alex’s. That must be her father, King Alistair. To the left, a dark-haired man with an intricate set of braids in his large beard and beads of all sorts of colors in his hair. He resembled the hulky guard in build and expression.  Finally, in the center was a woman with the gaze of an ice queen. She was beautiful, with skin a shade darker than his own, and waves of chestnut hair that shaped her oval face. It was her violet eyes and the scowl that made her look cold and dangerous. She was the least happy to see them.

Alistair cleared his throat, cutting the silence, and spoke with a voice so strong and leader-like, it reminded Keith of Shiro. “Everyone, please take your seats. The Judgement will now begin.” Without making a sound, everyone followed suit and sat.

“So, these are the Galra you wished us to see?” The woman sounded unamused, almost disappointed. What did she expect to find?

Alex nodded. “Yes, Lady Kelix.” Keith and Rae both could hear the strain in Alex’s voice as she used the formality. It was clear the princess did not like Kelix, but since she was around the entire kingdom, and with the formal armor’s low purple and black tones making her look the part of princess, she acted with respect. “Allow them to show you that they are more than your prejudice beliefs. After all, a person is more than just their race.”

Kelix waved her off. “Yes, yes, that is why we are here.” Rae was starting to dislike this lady. Alex was being a total sweetheart, and for Kelix to just blow her off like that made Rae’s blood boil. “However, I will only hear them out on one condition.” A sly grin flashed before disappearing.

“And what is that?” Alex looked Kelix in the eye, suspicion crawling through her. Unfortunately, she could not act on it. She must stay still and look pretty.

With a wave of Kelix’s hand, the girl on the ground hastily outstretched her arms and the tray to Rae and Keith, both now noticing the shiny goblets clanking against the metal tray as the girl could not stop shaking. Luckily, the strange red liquid did not spill. “Please, accept these drinks. Show your trust in us,” Kelix insisted.

King Alistair seemed skeptical, glancing to his daughter, then to the other male, Thoran. Rae felt their confusion, so she knew this was a plan Kelix acted on alone. Part of her wanted to grab Keith and run, but she knew that would only make them look guilty. Voltron needed these allies, so Rae kept quiet while her brother took the goblet that the girl offered.

Keith was unphased by all the uncertainty around him. Impulses quick to the ready, he took the drink and downed it, praying it didn’t taste as bad as Nunvil. The taste wasn’t bad, a little bitter, but that was before a strong, burning sensation erupted in his throat, making him cough violently and fall to his knees. “Keith!” He could hear his sister yell, and feel her hand on his side, hosting him up. The burning wouldn’t let up, and his vision was clouding.

“What is this?” Rae shouted, a perfect balance of panic and anger.

“A simple truth serum. If he fights it, the serum will react by inflicting more pain,” Kelix answered.

Alex remained still, silent knowing Keith’s actions were favorable. All she could do is send him mental encouragement.

“Come on, Keith!” Keith still couldn’t see but he knew that voice. Lance was rooting for him. “You’ve been through so much worse, now get it together!” Lance was right. Keith had been through the belly of a Weblum. He had also gone through the Blade of Marmora trials, and that hurt like hell. He could do this. Stumbling slightly, he shifted his weight back onto his feet and reared away from Rae’s grasp. Even without his sight, he knew Lance was smiling, pleased to know his words of encouragement worked. It shouldn’t surprise him, Lance always knows what to say in just about any serious situation. Keith had learned a thing or two from the darker skinned boy, but he couldn’t do what Lance could. So, he focused on what he could. He had to keep the pain from coming back.

Kelix was surprised. This one was strong. “State your name, please.” She had to continue while the serum was still in effect.

“Keith Kogane.”

“Did you know of your Galra heritage before becoming a Paladin?”

“No.”

“When did you find out?”

“It was while I was a Paladin, I’m not exactly sure when since time is a bit strange everywhere we go. I had suspicions after meeting a Galra named Ulaz, but…” Keith knew he was supposed to be honest, but he was hesitant to tell about the Blade. Kelix and Thoran were in Zarkon’s grasp. Granted, Zarkon and Haggar found out about Thace, but he didn’t want to accidentally give a lead to any other Blade members.

“But?” Kelix urged him to continue.

The burning sensation was back. Keith had to think fast. “He knew a group of people that were Galra, and they helped me realize I was half Galra.”

“Hm,” Kelix’s eyes narrowed. The boy wasn’t very good at being vague, but she decided to wrap it up since he didn’t know as much. “One last thing. When your teammates found out, how did they react?”

Keith took a deep breath. “I think they were shocked. The princess…it took her the longest to get used to the idea of having me around since the Galra destroyed her planet, which I don’t blame her. I’d probably feel the same way if I was in her shoes. But the others did their best to make me feel welcome. That it didn’t matter what I was.” He looked up at his friends, his vision finally back to normal, and smiled. “I’m grateful I had them with me. It made finding out the truth not so scary.”

Kelix frowned. “So, even knowing the Altean princess distrusted you, you still fought for Voltron? You were never tempted to join the Empire?”

“Of course not!” Keith was somewhat offended by the insinuation. “Look, Princess Allura may not have liked me at first, but I’m still the Red Paladin. I have a job to do, and that is to protect and defend the planets that Zarkon has abused. I’m used to people not liking me, or being scared of me, but it doesn’t change what I do. Plus, I was raised to give people chances. Not all Galra are bad, I’ve met a few great Galra that sacrificed themselves to save us. If I just turned on my team, on all the people who are counting on Voltron, I would hope that they would beat the shit out of me!” His anger was starting to get the best of him, and as he looked around, all the eyes on him were wide.

Thoran blinked, then let out a nervous chuckle. “Well, thank you for being honest with us, Keith. You’re free to join your team.” He signaled for the guard from before to lead him out of the spotlight.

The eyes shifted to Rae, who was still standing there. Her hands started to shake, causing the contents of the goblet to splash around, but never spill. Keith, who was her main focal point, was now gone, and the anxiety was back. She looked up at Kelix, who was grinning, waiting for her to protest. To fail.

Not today. Rae shot her a determined glance, then chugged the serum. The burning hit her fast, and for a moment, she felt like she had been punched by Throx, one of the most bloodthirsty Galra she knew. Like Keith, she fell to her knees, clasping her hands to her throat.

“State your name.”

Rae couldn’t breathe to answer the question, no matter how hard she tried.

“State your name,” Kelix repeated a bit harsh this time.

Rae forced herself to speak this time, ignoring the pain. “R-Rae Kogane.”

“Ah, so you two are related.” The older woman looked over at Keith, who was now sitting between Lance and Hunk, then her eyes shifted to Alex. “Our princess mentioned you before. According to her, you were held prisoner by Zarkon for a while. How long exactly?”

“Nine years,” she coughed.

The entire room filled with whispering. Roens muttering to one another, some of which took pity on the girl, while others thought she was lying. Alistair silenced the room with a snap of his fingers. “Continue, Kelix.”

Kelix smiled and went on with the interrogation. “Can you explain to us what you went through during that time?”

Alex growled, knowing that was a sensitive subject for Rae. For herself and Matt, too. She wanted to punch Kelix for asking such a personal question, but Rae cleared her throat. “I…” Rae started, doing her best to control the quake in her voice as the painful memories flooded her mind. “They started me out in the arena, at the age of twelve, fighting grown, hungry Galra for sport. My dad had given me training to defend myself, but it wasn’t enough to keep from being dominated. When I wasn’t fighting, I was being poked and prodded by the witch and her druids.” At the mention of Haggar, Alex froze. Many Roens gasped, knowing the treacheries that woman had caused in the past, but Alistair silenced them again. “They kept calling me The Experiment and ran multiple tests where they injected small amounts…. small amounts of quintessence into me.”

Thoran shot to his feet, his hands gripping the railing in front of him tightly. “That’s impossible!” His voice shook with fear. “Quintessence is an energy source, giving life to people and planets, everything. However, it can also become something deadly. For you to be injected, even in small doses, should’ve stopped your heart! How are you still alive?”

“Honestly, I’m not really sure,” Rae hesitated, shrinking under Thoran’s gaze. “When I was first captured from Earth, the Galra lady scanned me and my brother. I came out positive, so they took me. I guess that meant I could take large portions of the energy.” She glanced over at Keith, who was staring back. It was clear he didn’t remember, but slowly the pieces were being put together and his eyes drooped with sadness.

Pain shot through Rae’s entire body, making her lose sight of everything. She cried out, fighting back tears. She didn’t want to talk about this anymore. Every word she said had brought sadness or fear to the majority of the crowd, and she hated it. It made her feel weak. Pathetic. Voices called out to her, but they were far away, a loud ringing taking their place.

Kelix raised her voice, apparently repeating another question. “You are one of H-,” Alistair glared at her. “I mean…the witch’s…beasts then, yes?”

Rae could barely breathe. Her throat was on fire and it made her sick. “Y-yes, I…suppose that’s w…what she made me,” she gasped.

“So, this means that she has control of you, is that correct?” The woman’s violet eyes were searing into Rae’s skull, and though she could not see it, she sensed a wicked grin cross her face, enjoying every moment of the half-breed’s torture.

“No!” Her hands went to her ears as the ringing became louder, unbearable. Her body was struggling, attacking at an unknown internal threat. Maybe it was the serum? Rae didn’t know. All she knew was that everything was hurting, and her body couldn’t take much more of this. She began to cough violently, which only made it worse.

“Kitty?” Alex called, but she was immediately cut off by Kelix.

“This girl dares to lie to our faces?” The woman scoffed, standing with a gleam of rage and, dare Matt think it, amusement. “She dishonors us and our trust! Alexandria smite down that beast at once!” Hair fell over her face with how fast her head snapped toward Alex. It was almost enough to knock the wiry circlet off her forehead. Keith would’ve noticed that sooner had he not been pinned by her icy glare.

Alex flinched from the sudden movement, eyes crossed to focus on the bony finger pointed in her face. Two seconds later, her features contorted into something so frightening, it made Shiro shudder. The fury never left as the princess then grabbed the railing and leaped down to the main level, headed straight for Rae. Keith wanted to scream at Alex, to beg her not to hurt his sister, but a strong hand held him in his place. “Alex will not hurt her. She is her best friend,” Matt reminded him. It aggravated Keith to stay still and watch; nevertheless, he had no choice. None of them had a choice. One wrong move, and they could make things worse.

“Kitty, what’s wrong?” Alex spoke softly, kneeling before the girl now curling into herself.

“It hurts!” Rae screeched. The pain coursing through her veins became so strong, it forced her into her Galra state. Her claws now dug into her skull while fangs stabbed through her bottom lip, drawing blood from both spots.

Every Roen, aside from the king and princess, gasped loudly at the Galra. One woman forced her children to look away. “Beast.” The word came out frantically, but Rae heard it clear as a bell. _I ruined the alliance_ , she thought, curling into herself more in shame. She failed everyone. Her team, her friends. They were counting on her and she failed them.

“Princess,” Kelix hissed, growing more annoyed each second Rae’s death was delayed. “Kill her already! She’s a monster. A disgrace!”

“No!”

Suddenly, there was silence. Every voice. Every shout and gasp and scream were cut off by one strong, solid word. All eyes were on the princess, and as Rae looked up from her curtain of hair, she saw determination in her friend’s eyes, blending perfectly with the rage that never left.

“I will not kill my best friend,” Alex stated. Her voice lost its bubbly liveliness to something cold and sharp, rivaling the very woman who was now shocked by the girl’s serious composure.

It took a moment for Kelix to regain her stern expression from before. “She defied us. All we asked is that she speak the truth, and she lied. She is not worthy of our trust. Voltron is not worthy of our alliance if they are willing to protect that monstrosity.”

“Listen here, lady!” All five paladins and Matt stood, looking pissed. “No one calls our friend a monstrosity and gets away with it!” Leave it to Lance to yell at a leader of an alien race. Usually that was Keith’s thing, but Lance really liked Rae. He wasn’t about to let someone bad mouth her, even if it was an important figure.

“Voltron is about uniting people of all races to take down a common threat. We’re a symbol of hope, and what better way to spread that than to ally with a few good people who happen to be of the enemy’s race.” Lance was taken back by Keith’s words. He thought the mullet head would back him up with insults or something, but instead, what he said was kind of inspiring.

Matt stepped closer toward the railing. It was kind of scary seeing him angry, yet he kept his voice calm. “Lady Kelix, I have known Rae as long as Alex has. A little bit longer, actually. She would not lie to you because she knew what was at stake. She’s smarter than you give her credit for.”

“Yet she did lie,” Kelix snapped back, rising to her feet. “The serum reacts to lies. If she wasn’t lying, then she wouldn’t be in pain.”

Rae struggled, but managed to stand. “I’m not lying,” she screamed, tears now pooling in her gray eyes. Her features were shifting from human to Galra and back, causing her to fall on one knee. “I swear to you, everything I told you was the truth!”

“You said you were one of the witch’s beasts,” replied Kelix. “That means she controls you!”

“No, I-”

“Is she in your head now? Is she spying through your eyes?”

“No, she’s-”

“She could be watching us all right now through you!” She raised her head to the Roens. “This is why we do not trust the Galra. Why we stopped showing them mercy and kindness. I bet there is a fleet on its way now to destroy us all, and it’s all because of her!”

“Enough!” Alistair and Shiro both spoke at the same time, making the word echo off the walls and startle the crowd. Alistair shot Kelix down with daggers in his eyes, then nodded for Shiro to speak.

Shiro cleared his throat. “Talking to her like that and not giving her time to give a proper answer won’t get you anywhere. All that will do is frustrate her further. And, if I’m not mistaken, we only need two votes from the leaders. Not all three.”

Alistair and Alex both smiled, then shifted their eyes to Thoran. “Well, my old friend, it seems you are the balancing chip. Which way do you lean?”

Thoran was quiet for a long time, glancing over at the girl who was still crumbling from pain. He tapped his fingers, which all had at least four rings on them, against his chin, studying every possible detail before speaking. “There have been rumors over the years, even before Voltron was reinstated, of a weapon that could destroy entire planets, galaxies, with just the wave of a hand. A weapon that the witch herself created or was in the process of creating.” Kelix started to interject, but he raised his hand to silence her, earning an icy glare. “A weapon so powerful, it could surpass any other weapon, even the great Voltron. This weapon was to be created using large amounts of quintessence, injecting them into a host.” Rae’s head angled up to look the man in his golden eyes. “You are the Cosmic Woman, are you?”

Rae could not speak, so she took what strength she had left and nodded.

“The Cosmic Woman was meant to be a source of pure evil. A dark omen that would plague over the entire galaxy, leading to the Empire’s victory since no one would dare try to fight back. Yet here you are, an ally to the very group you were meant to destroy. How?”

Rae felt the serum let up a little, so she stood to the best of her ability, keeping her head high. “For the witch’s success, she needed to find a host who was compliant, one who feared enough to follow orders without a second thought. That’s where she first slipped up. I was scared as a kid, but my father taught me that fear can lead to something greater, something useful in the end. After my first few fights, something snapped in me. I felt anger and hatred, but I knew those wouldn’t help. So, I warped them into logic and patience. Anger was still there, but it was tame, going hand in hand with determination. My signature Kogane impulse was another factor that struck against her plans. I don’t do what I don’t think is right. I think with my heart just as much as my head.

“Lastly, there was a final step to the procedure. They wanted to remove my memories, to make me a mindless puppet. They thought that would get rid of my rebellious tendencies. I fought the entire time. I didn’t want them to take what was so precious to me, because they would’ve stored it away and then Earth would’ve already been under attack. My brother was the reason I fought so hard, and they would’ve killed him. If that happened, then Voltron would not be here today to fight against Zarkon. The Galra would’ve found the lions and used me to forcibly activate and control them, demolishing the last few strings of hope the universe has. I could not let that happen. So, I escaped. I lead a prison break with the last few prisoners on the ship, two of which are here now-” she gestured to Alex and Matt. “-and got them safely to their pods.”

“But you were not with either. You were found later, yes?”

Rae nodded. “Alex and Matt refused to leave until our friends were safely flying home. Once that happened, Matt helped my get Alex to her pod, even though she tried to fight against me.” Alex let out a chuckle. “Then it was just Matt and I. His pod was originally set for Earth, and we were going to leave together, but fate had other plans. A galra named Throx attacked before I could step in, so I acted quickly and kicked the button, closing the hatch. When I did, it knocked the location somewhere else. I stayed behind to ensure that my friends would be safe, and I was locked away in a cryopod for a year until the paladins found me.”

Hearing how Rae helped Matt escape, it reminded Shiro of the time when Allura did the same for him. She sacrificed herself for him. When Thoran explained how the Cosmic Woman was supposed to work, it sent chills up his spine. A weapon of pure evil who could rival Voltron, but as Rae explained her side of the story, everything became clear. She did everything in her power to go against the plans. It must’ve been why she sought him out in the Astral Planes. To help before Haggar could complete the procedure. She was truly on their side. No tricks or schemes like he and Keith had thought before.

Thoran turned to Alistair, speaking in hushed tones with him while Kelix shot them both daggers and hissed protests. Rae took that opportunity to look at her team, smiling, hoping she fixed her previous mistakes.

The next second, she was back on her knees, clutching her throat and coughing so hard blood started to come out. Veins started to bulge out from her face, neck, and arms as she struggled to breathe once more. “Rae?” Alex was hunched over, petting Rae’s head to try and calm her down, but to no avail.

Thoran’s head snapped to Rae. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. She was fine for a moment, and then-” Alex stopped, then her nose moved closer to Rae, smelling something odd. She looked up at Kelix, who was staring at Rae like she was prey, then her eyes went to the girl with the tray. “You,” she demanded. “Bring me what you brought her, now!”

The girl squeaked and flinched, but she looked up at her mistress, who nodded, and poured a third cup for the princess. Kelix’s steely gaze never left the girl as she brought the goblet to the princess.

Alex snatched the cup from her hands and sniffed it. The paladins were confused, but Matt leaned forward on the railing, watching her attentively. He knew what she was doing, and so did the other Roens.

The princess did not look pleased. “I said to bring me what you brought her!” She pointed to Rae.

The girl hid behind her copper hair. “I- I did, your majesty.” She was cowering, Alex could sense it.

“Both half-breeds received the same serum,” Kelix informed coldly.

“Then why wasn’t the Red Paladin coughing up blood and squirming in pain like she is?!”

The crowd looked at Kelix, awaiting her answer. “She must’ve fought too hard. She is strong, so holding back the serum why she lied to dear Thoran meant it would kick in worse.” Thoran turned his eyes to her in confusion. She’s never once called him dear.

Alex sensed his suspicion, along with her father’s. On the ground, right in front of Rae’s hands, laid the goblet she drank from. Alex snatched it up and barely had to take a whiff when she smelled it. A metallic, bitter smell that recided in the Brunber fruit, a speckled, shiny fruit that was appealing to the eye, but held a dangerous poison that would kill a person in minutes. The red-head crushed the cup, and threw it on the ground, then pointed her finger at Kelix. “YOU ARE THE LIAR,” she bellowed. The scary look returned to her face as she plucked Rae off the ground, cradling her gently. “She accepted your terms and you tricked her!” Her eyes darkened. “I swear to Leto, if this girl dies, I will see to it that you are buried with her.”

Gasps and looks of horror spread throughout the crowd, but they weren’t directed at Kelix. They were on Rae. “What in the name of…” Kelix gasped, a look of fear rather than her usual glare. “What is that?!”

Rae’s body began to emit a pink-purple glow that grew brighter every second. Her veins were laced with the same color, and Shiro knew what was about to happen. “Alex, put her down,” he screamed, then jumped from the ledge. It was farther down than he was used to, but he still managed to land without breaking bones, and ran to the princess, crashing into her with enough force for her to drop Rae.

He managed to pin her to the wall before she started struggling. “Let me go! Rae!” She called out to her friend, but Shiro had to keep a firm grip on her so she wouldn’t get away.

“If you’re too close, you could die!” A blinding light flashed and the ground shook, making Alex duck her head to his. She let him be her shield until the light faded away, then both looked at each other. Shiro was still trying to catch his breath from his sprint, but he soon realized that was the only sound in the Judgement Hall.

“Um…could you…” Alex’s voice was sweet and soft, almost shy. Shiro forgot their proximity due to the light ringing in his ears, but he looked into her eyes, which were only a few inches from him, then his eyes wandered down, realizing her knees were bent to shrink to his height. He backed away just enough to let her stand, taking a moment to look up at the Roen civilians. They all looked scared, eyes glued to the center.

In the center stood the Cosmic Woman, tall and glowing, face expressionless. Her hands were gripping the sides of the Hall, a bit too close to the people, and her head was well above the walls. No one dared to move out of fear that she would smite them. The belly of the aura held Rae, who was the size of an ant in comparison. Rae had Kelix pinned under her gaze, and for the first time, the woman seemed ready to bolt. “My god,” Thoran spoke, astounded by the sight in front of him. “It’s her.”

Civilians began to ask questions all at once. The words jumbled together no matter how loud they yelled. Thoran brought his fingers to his lips and whistled loudly, causing silence again. Kelix took this moment to her advantage and spoke shakily. “Why are you here? Why did you come out?”

“Yeah, about that,” Matt answered for Rae. “She can’t talk in this form. The Cosmic Woman itself has no mouth. But don’t be scared! She may be large…” He looked up at Rae, who shifted her head to look back at him, which the aura copied. “Very large, but she’s not attacking. She’s still in control of herself.” Rae smiled at him, the one action her Cosmic state could not mimic. She was glad that he spoke for her.

Alex moved past Shiro and stood a yard from the Woman’s foot, safe from the quintessence. “You provoked her. All she wanted was our help to stop Zarkon and the Empire.” She looked her father in the eye. “Kelix poisoned the serum with the Brunber fruit!”

Alistair reached for the hilt of his sword and pulled the metal from its sheath. “Kelix, explain yourself!”

For the first time, everyone saw Kelix crumble. She fell on her hands and knees and groveled at the king’s feet. “Forgive me, sire! If I didn’t, Zarkon was going to kill me, and the rest of our kind. He wanted the Cosmic Woman dead, so she could not stand in the way of his victory.”

This fueled Alistair’s anger. He pointed his sword at Kelix’s chin. “Then at least we would have died with honor.” He raised the sword, but Rae intervened, raising one hand and shaking her head in disapproval. The king nodded his head respectfully and put his sword away.

“Well, that is enough excitement for one day,” Thoran chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “I think I’ve made my decision.” He raised his hands out to his people. “It is time for us to break free from the Empire’s cluches. We will fight alongside Voltron and their allies, and we will end this war once and for all!” The crowd erupted in cheers. Shiro and Matt were smiling, happy to finally gain more allies. Pidge and Hunk bounced up and down, and Lance, unable to contain his excitement, reached over and pulled Keith into a hug so strong it lifted the dark-haired boy off the ground. Five ticks passed, and Lance quickly realized his actions. He let the older boy go, and turned away to hide his blush, leaving Keith puzzled as to what just happened.

“Rae, you did it,” Alex cheered at the top of her lungs before she went to Shiro. Everyone was so happy that they were nearly oblivious to the Cosmic aura flickering.

In one split second, the aura vanished, leaving Rae to dangle hundreds of feet in the air before free-falling. Matt was jumping over the ledge right as the screaming started and sprinted toward the center. Alex and Shiro were closer, but he wanted to make sure she was okay. It wasn’t a good sign when the aura just suddenly disappeared. He skidded on his knees and successfully caught her, lucky that the sudden weight didn’t catapult his face into the dirt.

As soon as he stopped, and the dust clouds went away, he examined her. She was pale as a sheet of paper, and the dried blood coated her lips and chin. Her eyes were squeezed shut. She was still in pain. “I need a medic over here!”

Thoran and two of his medics rushed down to them. Alex started to move, too, but Shiro grabbed her arm. Instead of fighting, she stepped back, watching as the medics lifted her friend onto a gurney and carried her out of the Judgement Hall. Shiro’s hand fell from her arm and together they ran to follow the medics. They were soon followed by Matt, the other paladins, and King Alistair.

The moment they reached the infirmary, a woman stood to let the medics through, then stepped in front of the doors, blocking the others from entering. “I’m sorry, but you will all have to wait over there until we allow you back.” She pointed to a large waiting room, and the group slowly moved and took their seats.

Alex saw her father standing just outside the waiting room and walked over to join him. “I know the punishment for poison is death, but spare Kelix. Rae wouldn’t want bloodshed on a day of triumph.”

Alistair nodded. “I’ll agree to that; however, a punishment is still in order. She will lose her title as a leader and be banished.”

 “I understand, father.” Alex fiddled with her fingers for a moment. “I want to go with Rae and the paladins.”

Her father raised an eyebrow and his lips twisted into a teasing smirk. “Oh? Would this decision have anything to do with the Black Paladin?” He wiggled his eyebrows, making his daughter laugh.

“No. It is for honor. I want to stand by my friend and fight with her like the princess I was taught to be. After all, it is because of her that I returned to you with only a few scars and quirks.”

The king smiled. “I am so proud of the woman you have become, and I know your mother would be as well. Defend the universe with them. Help them acquire more allies, and know that when the time comes, we will rise by your side.”

Alex smiled her cheeky smile and wrapped her father in a tight hug. “I will restore the honor that Kelix’s folly has put upon us, I swear unto you.”

“I know, dear,” Alistair said softly before squeezing tightly, then letting go. “Now it is time for you to return to your friend.” His eyes find Matt, frantically tapping his foot and fidgeting with his hands. “He seems a little…tense.”

 The princess giggles and rushes back to the waiting room, taking her seat next to the blond-haired boy. “You okay, Matty?”

Without looking up from his hands, he answers. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

She giggles and pets his head like she did the first day they met. “She will be fine, Matty. You and I both know she has been through worse.”

“That’s why I’m not worried,” he lied.

Alex was unphased. “Then why are you fidgeting?”

“I’m not-” he started to say before he looked down and realized his foot and hands betrayed him. “Oh… I guess I am.” He turned his head away, blushing.

“Oh, Matty,” she smiles and decides to change the topic to ease him mind. “Pidgey is so cute! I swore she was you at first.”

Matt chuckled. “I know. It was kind of like looking in a mirror of the past.” His smile was replaced by a sad frown.

“What’s wrong” Alex asked, wrapping one arm around his shoulders for support.

His amber eyes went to his sister, then he sighed. “I’m happy Katie is a paladin and all, but this is the last thing I wanted for her. She’s putting herself in danger every day. I know I am, too, but I’m the older brother. My job is to protect her. I just…I don’t want anything to happen to her.”

“Matty, she is stronger than she looks. She’s lasted this long, and she’s not alone. She has the other paladins, and Rae, and now you and me. Pidgey can take care of herself, just like you could.” She was about to say something else, but her attention magnified toward a giant, furry, fluffball of a cat that sauntered into the waiting room. To Matt, it looked like a grey Maine Coon, but he wasn’t very good at guessing feline breeds. “Belly Kitty,” Alex squealed. The abrupt sound startled the cat, and it flew down the hallway. Alex pouted.

Matt laughed. “It’s good to see you haven’t changed.”

“Darn cat,” she grumbled.

A servant girl stepped into the waiting room. Her glasses were small, and her pointed nose matched her bright blue pixie cut. “The king wishes to inform you of a feast taking place after the young…lady’s recovery.” Alex felt her stomach growl, desperate for food.

“Thank goodness,” Hunk cheered. “I can’t wait to try this planet’s cuisine.”

Matt chuckled. “Food does sound amazing.”

“It is in honor of the lady Rae and the alliance, so I’m afraid you will have to wait.” The girl bowed nervously, then turned her attention toward Alex. “M-my Lady. Your father wishes for you to be…adequately dressed for the occasion.”

Alex knew what adequately dressed meant, and she shot to her feet. “Nope! No! I refuse. No dress.”

Matt found his opportunity to tease her. “Awe, come on, Alex. It’s like she said, to honor Rae and the alliance.”

“But it’s a dress!” She pouts. Three guards which stood behind the girl sprang forward and pulled the princess to her quarters as she cried.

Matt shook his head and laughed. Alex had told him a bit about her father’s choices in attire, and with her body shape, he knew that very little would be left to imagination. He looked up at Shiro, wondering how he’d react to what he’s about to see.

Lance got up from his spot next to Hunk and sat next to Shiro, elbowing him lightly. “Well, aren’t you lucky? The warrior princess was hitting on you hard before the trials.”

Shiro rolled his eyes and sighed. “We have more important things to think about, Lance.”

A groan left Lance’s mouth, like he couldn’t believe Shiro would just ignore such a pretty girl, and a princess at that! It was insane.

Meanwhile, Pidge took a seat next to her brother, ready to get some answers out of him. “So,” she began, watching his face closely.

“So, what?”

“You like Rae, huh?”

Matt spluttered and scoffed. “I do not,” he answered a bit too loudly. The others raised their heads to look at him, and he blushed and ducked his head down.

Pidge grinned ear to ear. “You totally do.”

“Shut up,” he hissed. “I don’t like her like that. We’re just close friends.” Pidge rolled her eyes at his blatant denial. “Don’t give me that eye roll, missy. I’m still your older brother.”

“And I’m your younger sister. I known when you’re in denial.” She smirked.

“How much longer is this going to take?” Keith sighed impatiently.

Matt looked at the door that separated them from Rae. “Shouldn’t be too much longer. According to Rae, the Cosmic state heals anything from cuts to internal wounds and dangerous fluids, so it should’ve burned away the poison by now.”

They all slumped back in their seats. Silence carried for a good half hour before Lance spoke. “Do you think we should’ve helped Alex? She really didn’t like the idea of being put in a dress.”

“She can handle herself,” Shiro countered, staring at a strange painting on the wall.

Lance sat forward. He was determined to coax something out of their leader. “I bet she’ll look really good in a dress. What do you think?”

Shiro didn’t answer. Matt caught on to Lance’s antics and decided to join him. “If you didn’t like her, you wouldn’t have pounced at the opportunity to be her knight in shining armor and save her.”

“I saved her because she is an ally, not because I liked her,” Shiro replied, slightly annoyed with the two.

“Well, you did move at an accelerated speed to get to her. Plus, she knows like Matt does about Rae’s Cosmic State, and would know to avoid it,” Pidge added, fixing her glasses.

“I don’t like her, okay?!”

The woman who blocked them earlier stepped into the waiting room, clearing her throat to get their attention. “Your friend is awake. Do you wish to see her?”

Matt got up, earning a grin from Pidge which he chose to ignore, and followed the lady to a soft yellow room. Laying on the bed was Rae, covered up to her chest in blankets. Her right hand had an IV in it, and her hair was pushed to the left side of the bed. Her stormy eyes followed him as he sat down and reached for her free hand. “Hey. How do you feel?”

“Well, I’m not coughing up blood and my insides don’t feel like they were set ablaze, so I guess that’s good,” Rae answered, chuckling. She squeezed his hand. “Did we do it? Did we gain their trust?”

It was Matt’s turn to chuckle. “ _We_ didn’t do anything. You did. It was your actions that led to Thoran’s vote.”

“And Kelix?”

He sighed. “She was demoted for her crime. They wanted to kill her, as that is the usual punishment, but you stopped that from happening.”

“Oh.” Her brow furrowed. “I guess that’s good then.”

Matt knew that look. “What’s wrong?”

Rae sighed. “Things would have been much easier had I not been found.” Matt started to protest but she stopped him. “We’re going to need more allies eventually. How many of them are going to find out about me and refuse Voltron’s help? You heard Thoran, I am meant to be an entity for evil. I’m supposed to be the universe’s greatest fear. The Roens even looked at me so. They were afraid of me. If it was just Keith, they wouldn’t have even batted an eyelash. I’m just getting in the way.”

Pidge stepped in, leaning on the doorframe. “Actually, if it was just Keith, they would have rejected us. No offense to him, but even I noticed he was being vague on some of his answers. Sure, he made up for it in the last question, but his temper was starting to scare the locals. No one has met anyone like you, so of course they’re gonna get scared. The important thing is that we got the alliance, and we got it because of you.”

“Yeah,” Matt chimed in. “You should’ve heard the Roens cheering once Thoran said yes. They were so happy.”

“And,” Pidge added. “The king is throwing a feast in _your_ honor. These people don’t mess around when it comes to honor.”

Rae blinked. “A feast? In my honor?” She suddenly turned pale. “Oh, I couldn’t accept that.”

Matt and Pidge both looked at her like she was crazy. “Did I forget to mention Alex is going to be in a dress?”

The dark-haired girl’s eyes widened from Matt’s words. “Seriously?” They both nodded. “I…no. No, I can’t.”

“Come on,” Matt frowned at her stubbornness. “You said you’d give anything to see Alex in a dress.”

Rae looked down at her hands. “I’m really tired. I think I’ll just stay here and get some rest.” She faked a yawn that she hoped fooled the two geniuses.

Pidge shook her head. “That’s a shame. Guess I’ll just have to tell the boys to starve since Alistair told them they’d have to wait until you arrived.” She shrugged her shoulders and started to walk out the door before the other girl groaned.

“Fine, fine, I’ll go.” Rae pulled the blankets off herself and let the one medic take the IV out of her hand. “I just don’t like the attention. But I’ll suffer.” She leaped to her feet too quickly and stumbled forward. Matt was quick to catch her, which Pidge found adorable. She left without another word, leaving the two young adults a blushing mess.

“Thanks…” Rae managed to get back on her feet. “I think I can walk on my own. You go ahead.”

Matt frowned. “I’m not leaving you.”

“I’ll just be a little slow, it’s no big deal. Go.”

He sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing. He walked off, getting about ten steps before she called for him. Forcing back a triumphant smile and turned toward her. “Yes?”

“I might need your help,” she mumbled. He stepped back to her and extended a hand, choosing not to antagonize her. “Thanks…”

She took his hand and leaned against him, wrapping one arm around his waist and laying her head on his shoulder. This made him blush deeply, but he let her stay that way as they walked toward the dining hall.

Just before they got to the doors to the dining hall, two servants stopped them. “Good evening. My name is Killian. Are you ready, my lady,” the male, Killian, asked. He was handsome, but in a sort of out of date way. His long hair was slicked back and tied together loosely, but as he bowed to her and smiled, she noticed he was definitely a charmer.

The girl next to him bowed as well, letting a mess of curls cascade down the front of her face until she lifted her head. Then a giddy smile crossed her face and she blurted out “are you really Lady Alexandria’s friend? Oh, what am I saying, of course you are. Only someone as amazing as you could be a friend to our beloved princess.”

“Morrigan, quiet,” Killian hissed.

“Oh, she’s fine,” Rae interjected, smiling awkwardly and blushing. “Yes, I am her friend. I appreciate the compliment. And yes, I am ready.”

Killian smiled. “It seems our princess’ ability to read people only grows stronger. This way Madam, Sir.”

They turned to get the doors, and Rae whispered to Matt. “I kind of like the formalities.”

Matt snickered in return. “It’s because you are an honored guest.”

Rae rolled her eyes, but laughed as she shifted, placing a hand on the inside of his elbow.

As the doors opened, Rae’s eyes widened at the feast in front of her. A long table stretched from one side of the room to the other, and it was covered with dozens of trays with different types of meats, multiple trays of assorted fruits and vegetables, and at least five different bottles of wine and water. The other paladins were seated, along with Allura, and Killian ushered Rae and Matt over to their seats, graciously filling their goblets with the wine of his choosing. “This kind isn’t bitter like others. It’s sweeter, and livelier to the taste buds,” he explained.

“Thank you,” Rae said shyly. Her eyes landed on the red liquid in the cup and suddenly her insides started to cringe. She knew these people weren’t trying to kill her, but after Kelix’s stunt, she became hesitant. The fear diminished slowly once she saw Matt take a drink of the same wine, and she raised the glass to her lips. Rae had never tried wine before, but the taste she experienced was better than she thought. _Killian was right, it really is sweeter_ , she thought to herself.

“Does anyone else feel under-dressed,” Matt questioned, looking down at his rebel outfit, which still had dirt from the Judgement Hall, and scratches all over from his fights at the prison. All five paladins agreed, looking at their own armor.

“I mean, I guess this is somewhat formal since it’s armor,” Hunk proclaimed. “But we never got a chance to shine it up or anything.”

Keith couldn’t help but laugh. “This is by far the fanciest meal I’ve ever been to, and I thought Hunk’s special food goo cuisine was fancy.” This made everyone burst into laughter. Hunk had tears in his eyes from laughing so hard, but he held his hand over his heart, completely touched that someone thought his food was fancy.

Lance had his arms around his stomach, doing his best to keep from falling out of his chair. “This reminds me of Christmas at my house, minus the fanciness.” The others quiet down enough to listen while Lance tells his story. “The table would look similar, covered with all sorts of foods, plus two other tables with about the same amount, so there was barely any room in the house to eat. We all ate outside, or at the community center if it snowed, and all our neighbors who pitched in, which was like the whole block, joined us and we’d talk and laugh and play music. Oh man, it’s the greatest.”

“It sounds fun, Lance,” Shiro commented.

“It will definitely be fun because you all are coming, too.” All heads turned to Lance, thinking they misheard him. “What? You guys thought I was joking? No way! If we win the war and I don’t bring my space family to celebrate the holidays with my real family, my mom will beat me with her shoe! She’s a sweet lady, but don’t let that fool you. Get my mom around the Galra when she’s pissed off, and she’ll have Zarkon quaking in his boots. Besides, Hunk is the only one who knows what Christmas with the McClain’s is like. The rest of you need to experience it, too. You’ll love it. My mom and aunts will feed you until you nearly burst, and she’ll have me make you all sweaters for the occasion, regardless of the weather, and you can dance to the music. Ooh, and my mom will make sure you all get a present, because she’s an angel like that.”

“Oh, I can’t wait for that cozy sweater,” Hunk cheered, clasping his hands together. “Mine always smelled like cinnamon.”

“That’s because for each sweater I make, I have my entire room smell a certain way until it seeps into the fabric,” Lance confirmed. “After all, they do call me ‘the tailor’.”

Pidge slammed her hand onto the table, remembering the day Lance first said that stupid nickname, which was, ironically, the same day that Shiro crash landed on Earth. “I swear if you finish that line, I will shove this plate down your throat.”

Rae laughed, adoring how a small girl like Pidge could make a threat that would force the tall, lanky boy to cower in his seat. This made Hunk and Keith snicker. “What is Christmas,” Allura asked innocently. There was a pause, then laughter again from the others. They weren’t meaning to be rude, but it seemed funny that no one had explained earthen holidays to her before.

Lance was just about to answer her, but a Steward waltzed in, and the laughing stopped. “If I can have your attention, please,” the man spoke with a nasally, husky voice that clashed with his scrawny figure. His face had several bruises and cuts, but he ignored the worried glances at him and continued. “His Majesty King Alistair, and Crown Princess Alexandria!” As he stepped aside, the doors opened and in walked the king and princess, hand in hand.

Rae had to admire the King’s golden tunic and crimson cape, held together by a shiny tassel. He resembled the kings Rae used to read about, like Arthur, or William the Second, complete with a dazzling golden crown upon his head. Everyone except for Allura fixed their posture, praying they appeared presentable for such royalty.

As Alistair moved to sit, their eyes shifted to Alex and nearly popped out of their heads.

The princess’ golden dress was floor length with a slit that stretched up to her thigh, and one strap that barely held up her gargantuan breasts. Unlike the boys, Rae could see past that and noticed the girl’s red hair was let loose from its braid, flowing down and grazing her shoulder blade. A golden circlet lined her forehead, and tiny wings sprouted from the sides. As always, a choker laced her neck. The charm attached was engraved with the Celtic symbol for serenity, which suited the princess (most of the time). Poor Alex was miserable, Rae sensed, and she tried to shoot her a smile and thumbs up, letting her know she looked gorgeous, but the princess wasn’t having it. She covered her thigh with one hand and draped the other over her chest as if it would help conceal the cleavage.

Shiro turned the shade of a tomato before forcing his eyes away to stare holes into his food. He was not a creep; he didn’t look at women like that anymore. He respected women and their bodies unlike his past self, who would stare at their front and back before deciding to make his move. Even with Allura, he never looked at her like that and he was still attracted to her…and she was sitting right next to him as he stared at the Roen’s breasts. He wanted to hide in a hole, fearing what she must think of him, if she even noticed. He hoped she didn’t notice.

Lance found more difficulty prying his eyes away from the princess, but not for the reason everyone thought. He wasn’t sure it was possible for a woman of her size to have such a large physique on the upper half, and he hoped it didn’t cause her pain. On the other hand, she did look amazing in that dress.

An elbow rammed into his side, and he turned his head to Keith, giving him that “what did you do that for?” look. “Stop staring, and don’t start flirting with her,” he whispered.

“Oh, what, getting jealous, Mullet?” Lance turned away, but the question still lingered in his mind. _Was Keith jealous?_ It seemed ridiculous, but why else would he drag Lance’s attention away from the princess? He was staring, too! Still, the idea of the mullet boy being jealous over Lance’s attention brought a faint blush to his cheeks. Keith never answered, which didn’t help the matter.

Alex took her seat next to Rae, grumbling about the dress and how much she hated it. “I think you look amazing,” Rae whispered, trying to make her friend happy, but it backfired when the king overheard.

“See?” Alistair smiled and gestured to his daughter. “I told you. Why I bet even the Black Paladin thinks so.” Shiro contemplated starting to dig right where he sat. Matt held back laughter and Lance snickered at the comment.

Alex growled, clearly not in the mood for her father’s teasing. “I don’t like showing this much skin.”

Rae chuckled, patting her friend’s shoulder. “Oh Alex, don’t be like that. You’ll be back in your armor soon enough, I promise.”

The red-head pouted, but soon her eyes fixed on the food in front of her, and she no longer cared about the dress. Alistair signaled for the feast to begin and the princess dug in, grabbing a leg of a charred bird and some root-based veggies and biting into it with little grace. Lance, Keith, and Hunk followed suit and chowed down like it was their first meal in years. Shiro rolled his eyes at his team’s lack of manners, but he noticed the king wasn’t much better. Rae pressed a finger to her lips to hide her laugh. “I’m going to miss this food,” she claimed, and Rae was thankful she didn’t talk with her mouth full.

Alistair turned toward Allura. “if you don’t mind, I’d like to supply your ship with any necessities and goods it may need.”

“Absolutely!” Allura smiled at the king. “I’m sure Coran will appreciate it, and the paladins will be happy for the food. I fear they may be getting tired of the same old thing.” She and Alistair chuckled and began to make preparations with the Steward.

Alex noticed the snow-haired princess and noticed the blush that coated the Black Paladin’s cheeks. Her eyes darkened a shade. “Who is that,” she leaned toward Rae so the others wouldn’t hear.

Rae swallowed a piece of chicken and directed her eyes to where Alex was looking. “That’s Princess Allura. Her father built the lions. She’s okay.” She tried to give an unbiased opinion, but Rae didn’t feel close to Allura. The princess was…peppier than she was, and with the galra blood, she feared Allura would hate her, so she kept her distance. Though, she still felt a twinge of discomfort when Rae was around.

“So Shiro has a female companion?”

“Huh?” That was an odd question for Alex to ask. “Uh…it’s platonic, meaning they’re just friends. Shiro’s still single. Although, he does still have a crush on her, but I don’t see it going anywhere.”

A strange look crossed her face at Rae’s words. It was almost like amazement and worry. “C-crush? He wishes to crush her?”

Rae almost spit out her drink. “No. No, no, no. Oh, god no. Um…he wishes to court her.”

Suddenly, servants came strolling in, each with a basket full of stuffed animals. From small bears to giant duckling-like creatures, each basket had to weigh a ton. That didn’t seem to bother the servants. “Oh my god, a plush parade,” Matt gawked at the many colorful creatures.

“Oh my, um, sir?” Alistair smiled at Rae. “What’s all this?”

“Trust me, you’ll want these. I’m sure you are aware of Alexandria’s temper.” Rae nodded. Alistair got the hint and stopped any further plushie traffic from occurring. “One-eighth is enough.” The dark-haired girl thanked him, and he rose from his seat, holding his goblet out in front of him. “I would like to propose a toast to this momentous occasion. For today our planet allies itself with those who will stand against Zarkon and the galra who choose to follow without question.” He raises his glass and all bodies at the table follow. He wanted to praise the little lady for her bravery and honesty, knowing it was hard for her to recall such painful memories, but Alex informed him that Rae did not like to be center of attention.

With the toast came the end of the feast. Rae stood with the others and bowed. “Thank you, your majesty, for your hospitality and trust. Voltron will keep in touch with the plans against the Empire. If you need anything, do not hesitate to contact us.” Rae might’ve stepped on Allura’s toes a bit with her speech, but she felt the need to speak, to show that she was grateful. She followed her group back to the Castle of Lions, Alex close to her side.

“You’ll have to properly introduce me to everybody,” Alex giggled.

Rae almost smacked herself in the face. How could she forget such an important step? “Shit. Okay, so the one in yellow is Hunk, green is Pidge, and blue is Lance. You already know Shiro and my brother, Keith. You’ll meet Coran soon.”

Alex nodded. “I sensed Momo was your brother. I’m glad you found him.” Rae smiled. “So, once you get back to full strength, can we spar? I’ve been waiting for a worthy opponent, and you are the only one I can try my new trick on and not kill. Besides, it’s been too peaceful here. We’ve only had a run-in with a few Glazarians and other unwanted pests. Plus, I’m dying to see the tech on this ship the princess has. Only having space travel isn’t very fun when you’ve spent time surrounded by it.” Lights catch her eye and she loses her train of thought, engrossed with the brightness hanging over her head.

“Oh, Alex-” A sharp pain strikes Rae’s head, twenty times worse than a migraine. The girl crumbles to the ground, pressing her palms into her temples. A minute later, the pain subsided.

Matt and Alex were kneeling on either side of her in an instant. “Rae? Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Rae lied. She couldn’t worry them any more than she already had for the day. “I just need rest.”

In response, Alex hoisted Rae onto her back to carry her the rest of the way. “Hey!” Rae objected, flailing in the taller girl’s arms. “Put me down! I can walk on my own.”

“I’m taking care of you,” Alex responded. “So, hush.” Lance watched the girls, seeing them more as siblings rather than friends. He snickered as Rae continued to flail.

Rae set her sight on the darker boy and spat. “Laugh it up, Lance. Just remember, I know where you sleep, and with those headphones and mask on, you won’t even know I’m there until it’s too late.”

That shut Lance up. “Kitty, don’t be mean to Blue Thunder,” Alex chided.

“Blue Thunder?”

“It’s his nickname,” the princess informed, looking proud of herself for coming up with it.

Rae sighed. “That’s great. Now, can you please put me down? You’re too soft for me, and you’re swaying too much.”

Alex scowled due to her friend’s complaining, but then an idea popped into her head. “Okay!” She slung Rae around and handed her over to Matt. The blond subconsciously carried her in his arms, making the two appear as newlyweds. A smile formed on the Roen’s lips, and she hoped that her friends became a couple soon.

Her attention fell on the Castle of Lions, and she remembered the stories her mother would tell her of the Alteans and Voltron. “Nice ship,” she whistled and followed the others in, eventually reaching the bridge where a ginger male with a fabulous plump mustache was fiddling with controls. “Muuustaaache.” She couldn’t take her eyes away, it was too perfect.

Coran spun on his heels to greet the newcomers. “Ah! I see the visit went well. Hello, princess!” He waved to Alex, who giggled back. “Let’s see, oh, and there’s another with you.” His blue eyes landed on Matt. “You must be Number Five’s brother. A pleasure to meet you.” Then his eyes went to the girl in his arms, and he smiled, clapping his hands together. “Well, what a lovely couple.”

Matt turned the deepest shade of red while Lance and Shiro held in their laughter.

“I know, right?” Alex shouted a bit too loud, making the dark-haired girl shift in Matt’s arms until she was practically buried into his chest.

“I-she’s not…we’re not a couple!” Matt sputtered, failing to keep his composure. “She’s just a friend and she needs some rest.”

“Right this way.” Coran led him down to her sleeping quarters and opened the door. Matt went straight to the bed and ever so gently laid Rae down. While he tucked her in, Coran whispered to Alex. “Are you sure they aren’t married already?”

Alex giggled. “Well, he did carry her over the threshold.”

Matt froze and quickly left the room. “We are not married, nor dating. We’re just friends.” There was a hint of sadness to the boy’s words, but Alex didn’t dare comfort him, knowing he’d deny the whole endeavor.

“Awe, I was going to make a cake.” Coran pouted, losing another attempt to cook.

“Cake? I want cake,” Alex chimed, nearly jumping up and down. “I’ve never had cake, but Matt and Rae had told me about it before.”

Coran laughed, and started down the hall again. “Maybe later. Now, let’s show you two to your rooms.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Chapter 11 is up! This chapter took me forever, between planning out all the scenes, contemplating dialogue, being motivated to write at all, it was a tough chapter to tackle, but I prevailed! As you can see, Roens can be peaceful people, but they can also be intense. Kelix proved to be an interesting villain of Roe, with her wit and tricks, but in the end, she was stopped. 
> 
> For any of you gamers, Dragon Age's setting and timeline played a big reference to how Roe looked. I'm still working on descriptions and such, so I hope you got a well enough image. Also, I suck at writing accents, so in case you were wondering, the first guard to address Alex about her attire had a heavy Scottish accent. Just thought I'd put that out there again. I'd rather address it to you all directly instead of attempting to write out the accent and fail horribly. I don't wish to offend anyone. 
> 
> Before I go, I would like to thank you all for reading this far. I will try to keep up with the weekly updates, but I may not succeed, so bear with me. As always, kudos and comment, I'd love to hear what you think! Until next time!


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